Global law firm Morrison & Foerster has appointed Babak Nikravesh as a partner in its Global Tax Department, based in the firm’s Palo Alto office.
Nikravesh brings to the firm 20 years of experience representing sovereign investors in their investments and other activities in the United States and abroad. His arrival follows the addition of Tax partners Anthony Carbone and Jay Blaivas in New York, and Sophie Allen in London, and Funds partners Serena Tan in Asia, and Leonora Shalet in New York.
Nikravesh’s practice focuses on advising non-US institutional investors and managers on their cross-border investment strategies and operations, with a particular focus on complex tax and regulatory issues. He works closely with sovereign wealth funds, public sector pension funds, social security funds, and other international organisations in particular. For two decades, Nikravesh has counseled investors on hundreds of investment transactions across diverse asset classes and geographies, including funds, co-investments, and direct investments in venture capital, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and debt.
“Babak is a highly experienced tax lawyer with unique, in-depth experience representing sovereign investors at a strategic level,” says Eric J Piesner, Morrison & Foerster Asia Managing Partner. “His impressive experience and strong client relationships in this area, coupled with his ability to advise on tax matters relevant to global investors on a range of fund formation, joint ventures, and other transactional matters, offers significant synergies with our existing global funds and investment practices in North America, Asia, and Europe.”
“Morrison & Foerster is a global industry leader with exceptional corporate and tax practices and an equally impressive international platform,” says Nikravesh. “The firm’s collaborative culture, cross-border coordination, and proven record of successfully integrating lateral partners were also major draws for me. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues in Palo Alto and elsewhere in the U.S., Asia, and Europe and leveraging my cross-border experience to advise our clients on their most complex business challenges around the globe.”
Nikravesh is a recognised thought leader in the sovereign investment space. He authors the leading treatise on the US taxation of government-linked investors, edits and publishes Sovereign Investor Insights newsletter, a publication for investor clientele, and hosts the annual Sovereign Investor Conference for institutional investors. Nikravesh’s works have also been cited in numerous publications, including The Oxford Guide to Treaties.
Prior to his most recent role as a partner at a prominent global law firm, Nikravesh practiced for eight years at another global law firm, where he primarily focused his federal tax practice on cross-border transactions and international tax planning for foreign and US clients. Earlier in his career, he practiced at another international law firm for six years. Nikravesh received his BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and his JD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Additionally, he earned an LLM. from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA from Stanford University.
