Roger Ritt is a current member and former vice chairman of the Tax Practice Group. He joined the firm in 1976. Mr. Ritt concentrates his practice on taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, federal and state tax controversies, executive compensation and § 280G golden parachutes, and bankruptcies and workouts.
Practice
Mr. Ritt has served as tax counsel to a number of clients in merger and acquisition and spin-off transactions, including Dean Foods in its spin-off of TreeHouse, Blockbuster's Special Committee in the spin-off of Blockbuster by Viacom, Akamai, Avid, BJ's Wholesale Club, John Hancock, Redhat, Sepracor, Teradyne and Wright Express.
Mr. Ritt has also represented clients in significant bankruptcy cases. He acted as tax counsel to Harold Brown in the largest individual bankruptcy case in New England, to the debtors in the Arch Wireless, Mattress Discounters, and KB Toys Chapter 11 proceedings, and to the creditors committees in the Wang and the EUA Power Chapter 11 proceedings.
In the controversy area, Mr. Ritt has successfully represented many clients at the US Tax Court, IRS appeals, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. He represented the principal owners of the Boston Celtics in a tax dispute arising in connection with its public offering, obtaining multi-million dollar judgments in Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board proceedings that were affirmed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.