Thomas C. Borders, PC, is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm's Chicago office. His federal tax controversy practice involves audits, administrative appeals, litigation and criminal investigations. Tom has worked on numerous U.S. and international tax cases involving corporate tax matters as well as analysis of tax incentive investments, cross-border transactions, transfer pricing issues, valuation, finance and accounting issues. He also represents both law and accounting firms in malpractice actions and advises them on issues related to compliance with U.S. tax obligations.
Prior to joining McDermott, Tom was a trial attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel with the Internal Revenue Service for more than eight years. During this time he was involved in numerous federal income tax trials and received several Internal Revenue Service awards, which recognized his outstanding abilities in the courtroom.
Tom is a member of the Illinois and Indiana bars, the trial bar for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Tax Court, the 7th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. Claims Court.
Tom frequently addresses groups on compliance provisions and other tax law topics, and is a former adjunct professor in the graduate tax program at IIT Chicago Kent Law School (1987-1993). He is ranked as a leading tax attorney in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and is identified as one of the leading lawyers in the tax controversy field in The Legal 500-United States and PLCWhich lawyer? Cross-border Tax on Corporate Transactions Handbook. Tom was also named an Illinois Super Lawyer by Law & Politics and is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who Legal: Illinois, International Tax Review's World Tax 2009, and the Guide to the World's Leading Tax Advisers. Tom was also elected as a Top 100 Business Lawyer in Illinois by the Leading Lawyers Network.
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1974
- Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg School of Management, M.B.A., 1984
- Saint Louis University, B.A., 1970
