Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered

With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, Caplin & Drysdale prides itself on staying lean in an era when some law firms are ballooning to seemingly gargantuan proportions.

Tax Pros

Caplin & Drysdale was founded by Mortimer Caplin, former commissioner of the IRS under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He also once graced the cover of Time magazine in an issue dedicated to taxation. The firm's co-founder, Douglas Drysdale, had been a student of Caplin's at the University of Virginia School of Law and taught tax law at the school for more than 20 years. Starting with only six lawyers, Caplin & Drysdale now boasts a team of more than 60 lawyers.

Top in Tax

Caplin & Drysdale is recognized as one of the nation's top tax practices and consistently places as one of Vault’s Best Law Firms for Tax Law. National and international rankings list Caplin & Drysdale’s tax practice alongside firms that are 10 and 20 times its size. The firm's lawyers are often quoted in leading industry publications such as Tax Notes, Law360, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, POLITICO, and Bloomberg BNA. Although the firm only has two offices, it has a global footprint with corporate and individual clients from around the world. Caplin & Drysdale attorneys consider themselves “lawyers’ lawyers” because they have served as legal advisors to a number of law firms. 

The tax practice encompasses tax planning, tax litigation, tax controversies, international tax, transfer pricing, tax-exempt organizations, employee benefits, trust and estate planning, expatriation planning, and criminal tax defense work. 

Not a One-Stop Shop

In addition to its tax-oriented practices, the firm includes a litigation practice centered on insolvencies, corporate reorganizations in bankruptcy, creditors’ rights representation, and other complex financial and commercial disputes, including matters that cross national boundaries. Caplin & Drysdale is also proud of its national political law practice, which provides businesses, nonprofits, politicians, candidates, and lobbyists with timely, concise counsel on the high-stakes legal issues that involve pay-to-play restrictions, lobbying regulations, campaign finance laws, and ethics rules. Much like the firm’s tax attorneys, the litigators and political law attorneys are highly ranked by Chambers USA, Legal 500, Best Lawyers, and other rankings.

• Mansfield Rule Certification, 2024—Diversity Lab