July 1, 2008

Beltway Expert to Direct LAW’s Graduate Tax Program

Daniel M. Berman brings experience in Treasury, Congress

By Vicky Waltz

Daniel M. Berman is the new director of the School of Law’s graduate tax program. Photo courtesy of Daniel M. Berman

Having lived in Washington, D.C., for more than two decades, Daniel M. Berman has “been in Red Sox nation exile” for far too long. That’s about to change for the Massachusetts native and tax attorney.

Effective today, Berman is joining the School of Law as director of the graduate tax program and a professor of the practice of tax law. He will succeed Ernest M. Haddad (LAW'64), associate dean of graduate programs and a professor of law, who is remaining at the school.

“I’ve come to the point where I have a lot to give in a lot of different areas,” Berman says, “and going to an academic environment is the logical next step. I think my unique experiences and perspectives will bring a lot to the program and to the classroom.”

An expert in international taxation, Berman has experience in tax planning, tax controversies, tax policy work and negotiating, and interpreting tax treaties. He has worked in both the legislative and the administrative branches of the U.S. government, having served as deputy international tax counsel for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and as legislation counsel for the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress.

“We are very excited to welcome Daniel Berman to BU LAW,” says Dean Maureen O’Rourke. “He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of tax law, and his understanding of tax policy, coupled with his experience as a practicing tax lawyer and teacher, will greatly enhance our ability to prepare students for practice.”

“I’m looking forward to working with students rather than clients,” Berman says, “and I’m anxious to begin building relationships between the BU program and people in the private sector who will hire our students.”

Berman earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, where he majored in applied mathematics and economics, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He began his legal career with the law firm Cohen and Uretz and was a partner with Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner and with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, all in Washington, D.C.

He has taught courses in U.S. and international tax law at the International Tax Academy of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation in Amsterdam, and he was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and an instructor at Harvard Law School’s International Tax Program.

Berman says he wants to expand the BU program and to attract more part-time and foreign students. “I’m planning to create a course in making tax laws that I’ll teach next spring,” he says. “Tax law is intertwined with everything that happens in the world. People are born, they live, they die, and there are tax aspects through all of that. It’s very important.”

While Berman’s expertise is in international tax, he expects to continue to strengthen the graduate tax program’s curriculum in all tax subspecialty areas, including estate planning and domestic business transactions. “I expect I’ll spend a lot of time counseling students individually,” he adds. “I think my career and the perspective I will bring will help to inspire people to take a broader look at their careers and tax law.”

Vicky Waltz can be reached at vwaltz@bu.edu.