Robert H. Wellen, Distinguished Tax Expert and IRS Official, Returns to Ivins, Phillips & Barker

Ivins, Phillips & Barker (IPB) warmly welcomes Robert H. Wellen, who returns to the firm as a partner in its Washington, DC office.

Most recently, Wellen held the position of IRS Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate) for almost eight years. In that position, he supervised the team of 50 IRS lawyers responsible for corporate tax matters, including drafting regulations, revenue rulings, and other published guidance, handling technical aspects of cases in examination, IRS Appeals and litigation, and issuing private letter rulings on corporate transactions. During Wellen’s tenure at IRS, significant developments occurred in the taxation of M&A transactions, internal restructurings, and spin‑offs. In addition, a revamp of the private ruling program improved timeliness, consistency of outcomes, and attention to policy.

Before joining IRS, Wellen served as a partner at IPB for 22 years. His distinguished career has been marked by significant contributions to tax law in both private practice and government service. He has remained active in lecturing and writing on tax subjects, and he is a member of the ABA Tax Section, the DC Bar Tax Community, and the American College of Tax Counsel.

Eric Fox, Managing Partner of IPB, expressed excitement about Wellen's return, stating, "Bob is coming home. His unparalleled tax knowledge and stellar reputation make him a perfect fit for our talented team.”

"I'm really pleased to return to IPB and have the opportunity to work with our clients," Wellen said. "IPB sets the standard in tax law and client service, and I’m honored to be part of their team again."

In May of this year, IPB welcomed Eric Solomon as a partner. Solomon had served as both Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy and IRS Assistant Chief Counsel (Corporate).

Solomon and Wellen add to the extensive experience IPB brings to corporate clients, particularly those navigating complex transactions. With them, IPB is the only law or accounting firm to have two former heads of the IRS corporate tax office. Thus, IPB has become a unique go-to source for difficult and complex corporate restructurings, M&A transactions, and corporate tax policy matters. In addition to serving their clients, IPB works with other law and accounting firms to secure IRS private letter rulings on corporate transactions and to develop legal and policy positions on corporate tax matters.

Please contact any member of our team for further information.