Baker McKenzie announced that Colin Bowes-Carlson, former General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), has rejoined the firm in Chicago. As a renowned transactional attorney who focuses on cross-border transactions and reorganizations, Colin is the newest partner to join Baker McKenzie’s global transactional team, which has seen the addition of 20 partners since the start of the year.
Bowes-Carlson has substantial experience advising public and private companies on a wide range of complex cross-border transactional matters, including carve-outs, spinoffs, cash repatriation projects, pre- and post-acquisition integrations, and other reorganizations. He has also led complex tax matters while at IDOR and provided counsel on Department strategy and policy. Bowes-Carlson brings a deep understanding of tax regulation to the Firm and works closely with tax advisors to ensure tax-efficient transaction structures.
With over 2,500 deal lawyers in 45 jurisdictions, the firm offers pragmatic counsel in the areas most critical for business. And Baker McKenzie is one of the few law firms with a dedicated Global Reorganizations Practice, which counsels clients across the full life cycle of complex and transformational reorganization projects, helping to maximize the benefits of a business transformation. This team offers commercial advice to clients while leading them through pre-transaction planning, spin-offs, supply chain reorganizations, fiscal efficiency projects, and post-acquisition integrations. And Bowes-Carlson’s return follows other recent arrivals to the Chicago office, such as Cara Harrison, Rob Clary, Erika López, and Colleen Baime.
Bowes-Carlson’s hire also further expands Baker McKenzie’s global transactional team. Over the past several months, the firm also welcomed Tobias Knapp in New York, an elite transactional team in Los Angeles (with two of the partners splitting time in Houston and Washington, DC); Daniel Dehghanian in Dusseldorf and Eric Schwartzman in San Francisco.
Bowes-Carlson is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and the Illinois State Bar Association. And he was an associate at Baker McKenzie from 2014 to 2021. He received a BA in Economics & Legal Studies from Northwestern University and a JD from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Cardozo Journal of Law and Gender.
KEY QUOTES:
“Colin returns with a unique combination of deal and tax expertise, now enhanced through his experience in both government and private enterprise. He is a respected colleague and advisor, with considerable knowledge of how to help companies with their largest, most complex transactions. We are thrilled to work with him once again.”
- Duffy Lorenz, Chair of the Chicago Transactional Practice Group
“Our growth has always been guided by our clients’ business needs; our current growth is no exception. As global deal activity continues to rebound, having someone with Colin’s background in multijurisdictional deals and transactional tax matters will prove invaluable for clients looking to transform their businesses across the world. We are excited to have him back on the team.”
- Baker McKenzie North America Transactional Practice Chair Alan Zoccolillo
“The Chicago office has seen a number of high-caliber additions in recent months and we are thrilled to add Colin to that list. With experience in both the public and private sectors, he is a terrific asset for our clients; he is also a universally well-liked colleague here in Chicago.”
- David Malliband, Chicago Office Managing Partner
“I am excited to be resuming my cross-border transactional practice and there is no better place to do multi-jurisdictional work than Baker McKenzie. Moreover, the Firm’s culture is one of a kind, so this is a very happy homecoming for me.”
- Colin Bowes-Carlson
