NEW YORK – September 10, 2019 – Cozen O’Connor today welcomed Christopher W. Compton — a seasoned tax attorney who has served as legal counsel on a wide-range of tax exempt bond transactions — to its Corporate Practice Group. Compton brings more than two decades’ experience handling deals involving the financing of public infrastructure, educational facilities, public-private partnerships, sports and clean energy facilities, and community and economic development projects, including tax increment financings (TIFs).
A member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and Institute for Professionals in Taxation, Compton comes to the firm from Winstead PC in Dallas, where he was of counsel in that firm’s Public Finance Group. He joins Cozen O’Connor as a member and will reside in its midtown Manhattan office.
“Christopher brings to us a solid track record of providing clients guidance on a range of federal income tax-related matters, from helping issuers understand and optimize their tax-exempt bond exposure, to vetting public and private bond financings, says Ira C. Gubernick, vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Corporate Practice Group. “Over the course of his 20-plus year career he has proven himself to be a trusted adviser and an aggressive dealmaker. I’m pleased to welcome Christopher to the firm.”
Compton has served as tax counsel for a range of major bond transactions — including general obligations bonds, contract revenue bonds, special purpose local option sales tax bonds, special service district bonds, 501(c)(3) bonds, and private activity bonds (small issue industrial development bonds for manufacturing, recovery zone bonds and exempt facilities).
In addition to his tax practice, he has represented both communities and private companies in economic development transactions and public-private partnerships, including negotiating and implementing incentive packages with state and local governments.
“I chose Cozen O’Connor because its national footprint allows me to continue to grow my practice by focusing on federal income tax aspects of state and local obligations,” he says. “I also see myself as a valuable team player, one that deepens the practice’s bench by providing insight into the federal income tax aspects of public finance, project finance, public-private partnerships and economic development, including regional experience in Texas and throughout the Southeast.”
Compton earned his LL.M. in taxation at New York University; his J.D. at the University of Alabama; and his B.A. in political science at Auburn University.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 825 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor services its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.