Key Takeaways
- • Sidley Austin has hired Michael Alcan as a Tax partner in its Century City office, strengthening the firm's private equity and transactional tax practice following his departure from Kirkland & Ellis.
- • Alcan's expertise spans fund formation, fund restructurings, continuation funds, GP-stake transactions, fund financings, M&A tax planning, and cross-border deal structuring—core competencies for institutional investment sponsors.
- • This hire represents part of Sidley's broader 2026 expansion of its Tax practice, which now comprises more than 60 tax lawyers across the U.S. and Europe, including four additional partners added to the New York office earlier in the year.
- • The firm's Tax practice addition aligns with Sidley's stated strategy to enhance integrated support for sponsor clients by combining tax expertise with its market-leading transactional capabilities.
- • Sidley Austin operates approximately 2,300 lawyers across 21 global offices, positioning it as a major legal advisor to institutional private capital markets participants.
Summary
Sidley Austin has bolstered its Tax practice by recruiting Michael Alcan as a partner in its Century City office, marking the continuation of a strategic expansion aimed at deepening capabilities in private equity and complex transactional tax matters. Alcan joins from Kirkland & Ellis, where he was a Tax partner in the Los Angeles office, bringing specialized experience in advising investment funds, private equity sponsors, and institutional clients on tax matters arising from sophisticated investment structures.
Alcan's practice centers on the operational and structural tax challenges facing alternative asset sponsors. His background encompasses domestic and cross-border fund formation, fund restructurings, continuation funds, GP-stake acquisitions and sales, and fund financing transactions. Additionally, he advises on tax implications of M&A activity, capital markets transactions, restructurings, and cross-border joint ventures—domains critical to institutional investment vehicles and sponsor-level planning.
The hire signals Sidley's commitment to expanding Tax practice resources dedicated to private capital markets. Earlier in 2026, the firm added Tax partners Deborah Paul, Greg Featherman, and James Gouwar to its New York office. Notably, Gouwar joined as part of a five-partner team that also included four Global Finance partners: Lee Askenazi, Alistair Dunlop, Robert Hagan, and Rebecca O'Brien. This multi-office hiring strategy demonstrates a coordinated effort to build depth in tax and finance capabilities across major institutional investment hubs.
Sidley's Tax practice now exceeds 60 tax lawyers positioned across the United States and Europe. The firm's broader platform comprises approximately 2,300 lawyers across 21 offices globally, enabling integrated service delivery combining tax, transactional, and finance expertise to sponsor clients navigating complex strategic objectives. The Alcan addition reinforces Sidley's positioning as a primary advisor to institutional private equity and alternative investment clients requiring sophisticated cross-functional counsel.
Alcan's practice centers on the operational and structural tax challenges facing alternative asset sponsors. His background encompasses domestic and cross-border fund formation, fund restructurings, continuation funds, GP-stake acquisitions and sales, and fund financing transactions. Additionally, he advises on tax implications of M&A activity, capital markets transactions, restructurings, and cross-border joint ventures—domains critical to institutional investment vehicles and sponsor-level planning.
The hire signals Sidley's commitment to expanding Tax practice resources dedicated to private capital markets. Earlier in 2026, the firm added Tax partners Deborah Paul, Greg Featherman, and James Gouwar to its New York office. Notably, Gouwar joined as part of a five-partner team that also included four Global Finance partners: Lee Askenazi, Alistair Dunlop, Robert Hagan, and Rebecca O'Brien. This multi-office hiring strategy demonstrates a coordinated effort to build depth in tax and finance capabilities across major institutional investment hubs.
Sidley's Tax practice now exceeds 60 tax lawyers positioned across the United States and Europe. The firm's broader platform comprises approximately 2,300 lawyers across 21 offices globally, enabling integrated service delivery combining tax, transactional, and finance expertise to sponsor clients navigating complex strategic objectives. The Alcan addition reinforces Sidley's positioning as a primary advisor to institutional private equity and alternative investment clients requiring sophisticated cross-functional counsel.
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