SILICON VALLEY, Calif. – Oct. 4, 2023 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues its strategic expansion with the addition of Babak Nikravesh, an international tax attorney who joins as a shareholder from Morrison & Foerster.
“We are proud to welcome an attorney of Babak’s caliber to the Silicon Valley office, based in a region that’s recognized as a hub for innovation in many facets of the technology industry and – by extension – the massive wealth created by this sector,” Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian L. Duffy said. “Babak’s experience introducing opportunities to large institutional investors, such as public sector pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, in the United States and abroad adds a new dimension of service that we can offer our clients.”
Nikravesh focuses his practice on investment transactions and international tax planning, advising institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, public sector pension funds, university endowments, social security funds, and other global organizations, on investments in the United States and abroad. He represents investors seeking opportunities across many asset classes, including private equity, venture capital, and real estate. He also advises managers and fund sponsors on formation and operational matters as well as on their investments.
“Babak brings not only deep knowledge of corporate and international tax matters, but also experience working with large international and often government-linked entities, which will allow us to build up our private capital practices,” said Co-Managing Shareholders of the Silicon Valley office G. Michelle Ferreira, who is also a senior vice president of the firm, and William J. Goines. “He fits nicely – like a piece of a puzzle – in several key practice areas that we are focusing on for strategic expansion in Silicon Valley, California, and globally.”
Among the representative matters Nikravesh has handled, he advised a Canadian pension fund on the development of a direct lending platform; represented a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund on numerous venture capital and growth equity investments; and advised an Asian global real estate investor on its acquisition of a portfolio of European data center assets.
Nikravesh said he was attracted to Greenberg Traurig because of its entrepreneurial culture. “The firm is like me: I am entrepreneurial; I don’t wait for the phone to ring.” He expects the firm’s global network and broad array of practice areas will allow him to connect his clients with investment opportunities as well as enable him to tap focused representation when needed.
Nikravesh hosts the annual Sovereign Investor Conference and publishes a monthly newsletter tailored to institutional investors. He is widely recognized for his extensive writing on U.S. tax laws as they apply to foreign investors, especially those with government ties, and authors a leading Bureau of National Affairs treatise, U.S. Income Taxation of Foreign Governments, International Organizations, Central Banks and Their Employees.
Nikravesh earned his J.D. at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. He also holds an M.A. from Stanford University, an LL.M. from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is admitted to the bar in California and New York.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2650 attorneys in 47 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI “Highly Recommended Law Firm” for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.