Billy Abbott

Billy Abbott advises clients on tax matters arising from private and public mergers and acquisitions, asset management funds, digital assets, complex cross-border structuring and more. 

He represents a wide range of enterprises, including start-ups, large multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity, real estate, and other investment funds, sovereign wealth and foreign pension funds, financial technology creators and investors, among others. A talented and versatile corporate tax lawyer, Billy is a trusted advisor to his clients who appreciate his collaborative approach, his broad and deep technical expertise and his ability to distill complex tax matters into clear and helpful guidance.  Billy is also committed to pro bono efforts, primarily assisting non-profit organizations apply for tax exempt status and manage their corporate concerns in a range of fields, from education to criminal justice to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

M&A Transactions

• Represents numerous private equity clients in portfolio company investments, acquisitions and dispositions
• Represents public and private companies in acquisitions of corporations, partnerships, LLCs and other businesses
• Represented CJ ENM in its acquisition of Endeavor Content
• Represented HID Global Corporation in numerous acquisitions including of Crossmatch and Mercury Security
• Represented DigitalGlobe in its US$3.6 billion Sale to MDA

Asset Management

• Advises sovereign wealth funds and foreign pension funds on US tax matters relating to their investments into private equity and other investment funds
• Advises private equity and venture capital funds on fund structuring and other US tax matters for formation, secondary acquisitions and transfers and portfolio company management
• Advises on Qualified Opportunity Zone structuring and investment matters

Financial Technology and Emerging Companies

• Advises cutting-edge cryptocurrency and digital asset companies and investment funds on their US tax strategies
• Advises early stage companies and their investors on critical tax structuring concerns, including complex preferred stock offerings and qualified small business stock issues

Other Tax Matters

• Represented numerous companies and underwriters on listings with US and Hong Kong stock exchanges, including Tiger Brokers in their US$183 million offering on Nasdaq and the underwriters for the US$145 million listing by Shanghai HeartCare Medical Technology Corporation Limited on the HKSE
• Represented a leading US company in tax-related litigation before the European Commission