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Juan F. Vasquez, Jr.

Juan F. Vasquez, Jr.

Partner

Heritage Plaza
1111 Bagby Street
Suite 2100
Houston, TX 77002
juan.vasquez@nelsonmullins.com

Juan is a tax attorney who concentrates his practice on federal, state and local tax (SALT) controversy matters, including in connection with examinations, administrative appeals, trial, and appellate work. He serves as the Chair of the firm's Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group. 

Juan represents clients in administrative and policy matters before the IRS, various states, and...

Juan is a tax attorney who concentrates his practice on federal, state and local tax (SALT) controversy matters, including in connection with examinations, administrative appeals, trial, and appellate work. He serves as the Chair of the firm's Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group. 

Juan represents clients in administrative and policy matters before the IRS, various states, and local taxing authorities. He also represents clients in tax planning (federal and SALT)/restructuring/reorganizations, estate/gift planning and controversy, trust related matters, and Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) review and eligibility determinations, audit, appeals, and litigation matters. Additionally, he represents clients in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) matters.  

He represents a broad range of clients including individuals, privately held businesses, and large Fortune 500 companies and multinationals. He has been involved in complex cases at various levels of the court system, including the Tax Court, Federal District Courts, Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeals (the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh and Federal Circuits), and the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to his law practice, Juan serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches Tax Controversy & Litigation, Tax Procedure & Practice, and previously taught Taxation of Sales and Exchanges. He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics relating to tax controversy, ERTC, PPP, partnerships, corporate tax, and other related matters.  

An active member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Juan has served in numerous leadership positions including past Chair of the Committee on Court Procedure and Practice, past Chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) Tax Section, and past National Treasurer of the HNBA. He is also a former Chair of the Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation and served on the Leadership Council on the State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation, and served as Co-Chair of the Section of Taxation's Tax Controversy Committee and was former Chair of the Section of Taxation’s Pro Bono Committee.

He was awarded the Tax Section's Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award and is the past Chair of the Tax Section's Diversity Committee.

Juan F. Vasquez, Jr.

local taxing authorities. He also represents clients in tax planning (federal and SALT)/restructuring/reorganizations, estate/gift planning and controversy, trust related matters, and Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) review and eligibility determinations, audit, appeals, and litigation matters. Additionally, he represents clients in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) matters.  

He represents a broad range of clients including individuals, privately held businesses, and large Fortune 500 companies and multinationals. He has been involved in complex cases at various levels of the court system, including the Tax Court, Federal District Courts, Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeals (the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh and Federal Circuits), and the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to his law practice, Juan serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches Tax Controversy & Litigation, Tax Procedure & Practice, and previously taught Taxation of Sales and Exchanges. He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics relating to tax controversy, ERTC, PPP, partnerships, corporate tax, and other related matters.  

An active member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Juan has served in numerous leadership positions including past Chair of the Committee on Court Procedure and Practice, past Chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) Tax Section, and past National Treasurer of the HNBA. He is also a former Chair of the Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation and served on the Leadership Council on the State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation, and served as Co-Chair of the Section of Taxation's Tax Controversy Committee and was former Chair of the Section of Taxation’s Pro Bono Committee.

He was awarded the Tax Section's Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award and is the past Chair of the Tax Section's Diversity Committee.

Juan is a tax attorney who concentrates his practice on federal, state and local tax (SALT) controversy matters, including in connection with examinations, administrative appeals, trial, and appellate work. He serves as the Chair of the firm's Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group. 

Juan represents clients in administrative and policy matters before the IRS, various states, and... local taxing authorities. He also represents clients in tax planning (federal and SALT)/restructuring/reorganizations, estate/gift planning and controversy, trust related matters, and Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) review and eligibility determinations, audit, appeals, and litigation matters. Additionally, he represents clients in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) matters.  

He represents a broad range of clients including individuals, privately held businesses, and large Fortune 500 companies and multinationals. He has been involved in complex cases at various levels of the court system, including the Tax Court, Federal District Courts, Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeals (the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh and Federal Circuits), and the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to his law practice, Juan serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches Tax Controversy & Litigation, Tax Procedure & Practice, and previously taught Taxation of Sales and Exchanges. He is a frequent lecturer and author on topics relating to tax controversy, ERTC, PPP, partnerships, corporate tax, and other related matters.  

An active member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Juan has served in numerous leadership positions including past Chair of the Committee on Court Procedure and Practice, past Chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) Tax Section, and past National Treasurer of the HNBA. He is also a former Chair of the Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation and served on the Leadership Council on the State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation, and served as Co-Chair of the Section of Taxation's Tax Controversy Committee and was former Chair of the Section of Taxation’s Pro Bono Committee.

He was awarded the Tax Section's Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award and is the past Chair of the Tax Section's Diversity Committee.

Experience

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

  • Tax Court victory in significant employment tax case involving an issue of first impression
  • Successfully resolved significant transfer pricing cases at the audit, appeals, and court levels, including cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars in dispute
  • Multiple court victories and case resolutions on eve of trial involving a range of tax issues
  • Fifth Circuit victory in case involving issue of first impression regarding proper notice to taxpayer
  • Eleventh Circuit victory in excise tax case
  • Successfully resolved at appeals a significant multimillion-dollar excise tax case involving the fracking industry
  • Seventh Circuit victory involving the attorney-client privilege and Section 7525 tax practitioner privilege
  • Successfully resolved numerous state tax cases involving franchise tax, sales and use tax, tobacco tax, and fuel tax issues at audit, appeals, and court levels
  • Successfully resolved innocent spouse cases at the Tax Court level and with IRS appeals
  • Represented numerous clients in alleged "listed transaction" cases, including successfully resolving case for Fortune 500 client at the audit level in a $300+ million matter
  • Successfully represented clients in published cases involving the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine, Section 7525 tax practitioner privilege, and identity privilege
  • Represented clients in a case in the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois which was the first court to apply the Section 7525 tax practitioner privilege to communications between an accounting firm and its clients
  • Represented clients in a multimillion-dollar research tax credit case before the District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  • Successfully resolved numerous other research tax credit cases across a range of industries
  • Represented a Fortune 500 client in a $20 million collection due process case involving employment tax issues, which resulted in a significant refund to the client

Education

  • New York University School of Law, LLM, Taxation (2002)
  • University of Houston Law Center, JD (2001)
  • The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs, BBA (1998)

Admissions

  • Texas
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Practice Areas

The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.

  • Chambers USA, Tax Litigation Nationwide (2006–2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation & Controversy - Tax (2010–2025), Tax Law (2025)
  • The Legal 500 (2023)
  • Texas Super Lawyers (2012–2024)
  • Highly Regarded Professional, International Tax Review/World Tax (2023)
  • Houston’s Top Lawyers List, Houstonia magazine (2021–2022)
  • Tax Controversy Leader, International Tax Review (2013–2019)
  • Texas' Best Lawyers in Tax Law (2010–2019)
  • Texas Rising Star, Texas Monthly (2007–2011)
  • American College of Tax Counsel (2019)
  • State Bar of Texas, Hispanic Issues Section Pete Torres Community Service Award (2010)
  • American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award (Year)
  • American Bar Association Section of Taxation, Nolan Fellow (2008–2009)
  • Aztec Muse, Legal Star (2010)
  • Adjunct Professor, University of Houston Law Center
    • Tax Controversy & Litigation 
    • Tax Procedure & Practice 
    • Taxation of Sales and Exchanges
  • Adjunct Professor, Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
    • Tax Controversies
  • American Bar Association Section of Taxation
    • Committee on Court Procedure and Practice Chair
    • Diversity Committee Chair 
    • Privilege and Evidence Subcommittee Chair 
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
    • Tax Section Chair 
    • National Treasurer
    • Member of Executive Committee
    • Board of Governors
  • Houston Bar Association
    • Section of Taxation Chair
  • American College of Tax Counsel
  • Hispanic National Bar Association Legal Education Fund
    • Treasurer 
    • Board of Directors
  • State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation
    • Leadership Council
    • Tax Controversy Committee Co-Chair 
    • Pro Bono Committee Chair
    • Law Student Tax Challenge Chair
  • American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
  • American Bar Association Section of Taxation Liaison
  • IRS/Tax Practitioner Study Group
  • Houston Tax Procedure Group
  • Houston Wednesday Tax Forum
  • Hispanic Bar Association of Houston
    • President
    • Board of Directors
  • Mexican American Bar Association of Houston
    • Past President
  • Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio
  • University of Houston Law Center
    • Board of Directors for the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal 
    • Founder and Past Executive Editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal
    • Founder and Past President of the Corporate & Taxation Law Society
  • Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation
    • Chair
    • Board of Directors
  • Project Blueprint Class XXV