Paul Schmidt is Chairman of BakerHostetler and chair of the firm’s Policy Committee, its governing body. Drawing on decades of experience, Paul counsels multinational corporations, private equity and hedge funds, and publicly traded partnerships, along with industrial, technology, energy and commodities businesses, on all facets of taxation, from controversy to transactions to planning, with a particular focus on international taxation. Paul advises clients on technical and policy issues in connection with tax reform, transfer pricing, treaties, permanent establishments, U.S. trade or business, subpart F, foreign tax credits, GILTI, FDII, BEAT, and global debt issues. As former legislation counsel to the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation, Paul has a unique understanding of corporate and international tax matters, and significant experience handling issues in connection with examinations by the Internal Revenue Service and frequently advises clients on issues raised by foreign tax authorities. Paul regularly deals with tax issues in connection with the hospitality industry, including hotel groups, timeshares and fractional interests. He also has worked extensively on tax issues associated with intellectual property, supply chain management, contract manufacturing, and structuring inbound and outbound global joint ventures.
Prior to being elected Chairman of the firm, Paul spent nine years as chair of BakerHostetler's national Tax Group and also served as the leader of the firm’s International Tax team. Paul is ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© and appears on the Washington, D.C., "Super Lawyers" list. Paul is a member of the Bloomberg Tax U.S. International Advisory Board, has served as the U.S. vice chair of the American Bar Association Tax Section Foreign Lawyers Forum, and is a member of its Government Relations Committee. Paul is a member of the George Washington University / Internal Revenue Service Institute on Current Issues in International Taxation Advisory Board; and the Parker Fielder Oil & Gas Tax Conference Advisory Board. Paul also formerly served as the chair of the AICPA International Taxation Technical Resource Panel and taught international tax as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center for over a decade. Paul is also active in the community and is a member of the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Board of Governors.