Accounting
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand Bolsters Global Trade Advisory Capabilities
A&M’s Global Trade and Customs helps clients to strategically manage tariff and tax liabilities and maintain compliance across the spectrum of trade and customs requirements, including sanctions and export controls impacting services and ...
May. 12, 2021
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLP (A&M Taxand), an affiliate of leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), has appointed Houston-based Michael McGee to lead the newly launched Global Trade and Customs practice. The Global Trade and Customs practice, in conjunction with Mr. McGee’s hiring, demonstrates A&M’s commitment to helping clients optimize cross-border transactions and navigate increasingly complex trade, customs and sanctions requirements.
A&M’s Global Trade and Customs helps clients to strategically manage tariff and tax liabilities and maintain compliance across the spectrum of trade and customs requirements, including sanctions and export controls impacting services and technology across borders. Analyzing each jurisdiction, the practice helps clients reduce costs and mitigate risk.
Mr. McGee joins A&M with more than 20 years of experience in consulting and compliance management for multinational companies. He has expert knowledge of U.S. Customs Law, Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations, Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control, and Department of Commerce Antiboycott Regulations. He has designed and implemented global trade compliance programs for global companies across multiple industries, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, electronics, and retail.
Prior to joining A&M, Mr. McGee served as the Global Director of International Trade Regulations at BP America. In that role, he built the company’s compliance program and developed mechanisms to identify trade risks and mitigate import and export compliance risks. He also led the drive to automate trade compliance for several BP businesses.
“The political landscape and the pandemic have led to more regulations, increasingly complex tax regimes and the need to redraw supply chains. As a result, there is greater demand for expert tax advisory services, including for global trade and tariffs and duties,” said Ernesto R. Perez, Managing Director and Global Practice Leader of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand. “In line with A&M’s leadership, action, results approach, A&M Taxand is responding to the shifting business environment by expanding and strengthening specialized tax services to maximize value for clients.”
In the past year, A&M has launched and strengthened several practices to meet growing corporate demand for tax services. Most recently, A&M appointed Fabrizio Lolliri as Global Head of Transfer Pricing. In November 2020, A&M launched transformation and technology tax advisory offerings with the appointment of senior professionals like Thomas Ewigleben.
“A&M Taxand is committed to strengthening our robust tax advisory capabilities to meet evolving market needs,” said Albert Liguori, Managing Director with A&M Taxand. “Michael’s track record of setting up platforms to manage tariff and tax liabilities and maintain compliance across the spectrum of trade and customs requirements is an essential part in redesigning clients’ supply chains.”
Cyndi Joiner, Managing Director at A&M and leader of the Corporate Performance Improvement practice’s East Region, added, “Michael’s expertise strengthens our integrated offering as we support clients confronting supply chain disruption, particularly in the current environment with demand outpacing supply in many critical categories of materials. As the international trade market becomes more competitive, A&M continues to strengthen its capabilities in helping clients build resilient supply chain with solid monitoring, compliance and risk management processes.”
In addition to BP, Mr. McGee, served as Corporate Director of Trade Compliance at Cardinal Health. Prior to that, he led KPMG’s Southwest Trade and Customs Practice.
Mr. McGee earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M and an MBA (concentration in accounting and finance) from Red McCombs Graduate School of Business, which is part of University of Texas at Austin. Mr. McGee is a Co-founder of the Houston Energy Industry Trade Compliance Forum and Chair of its Steering Committee. He serves on the Chemical/Pharmaceutical Committee of the American Association of Exporters and Importers.