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Michael Lebovitz
USC Gould School of Law

Michael Lebovitz

Lecturer in Law

699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA

Last Updated: August 18, 2022




Michael Lebovitz is a partner in Mayer Brown LLP's tax practice and a co-leader of the International Tax and Transfer Pricing team. Lebovitz advises on the tax aspects of international joint ventures, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, post-transaction integration, international corporate finance, capital market transactions and general international tax planning matters across multiple industries including life sciences, media and entertainment, telecom, technology, oil and gas, and industrial and consumer products.

Lebovitz has successfully led teams advising multinationals restructuring in advance of a sale or spin-off of a division, as well as designing and implementing integration plans following a global merger or acquisition. He has led integration teams in over 100 countries.

Lebovitz advises multinational companies on intellectual property and supply chain planning in connection with transactions, U.S. and global tax reform and overall business operations. He has led global transfer pricing teams in connection with planning and documenting transfer pricing strategies.

A frequent speaker on international tax matters, Lebovitz has lectured throughout the United States, Europe and Asia for organizations including the Tax Executives Institute, IFA, IBFD, IBA, Bloomberg/BNA, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the American, California and Los Angeles County Bar Associations and the California Society of CPAs. Lebovitz has written frequently on international tax topics, and his articles have appeared in numerous publications in the U.S.and Europe. Lebovitz is ranked by Chambers and Partners–USA in the Tax–Southern California category. Chambers states, "He has a fantastic ability to provide a big-picture view on extremely complex structures." Lebovitz has also been recognized in The Legal 500 rankings as a leading international tax advisor.

Lebovitz also focuses on international philanthropy matters advising international nonprofits and foundations on cross-border fundraising and governance issues. He participates extensively in international pro bono matters. His notable projects include leading a global team to prepare an international report on legislative and judicial processes to combat the illegal trade in wildlife on behalf of the United for Wildlife Coalition. He also designed and led the instruction of a course on international taxation for the law school at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

Lebovitz joined Mayer Brown in 2018 and has more than 35 years of international tax experience working in both the Big Four and global law firm environments. He earned a bachelor’s in science (cum laude) in Accounting from California State University Long Beach and a JD (cum laude) from Loyola Law School Los Angeles. Lebovitz is a member of the California Bar and is licensed as a solicitor in England and Wales. He is also a certified public accountant.
 

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

LLM Guide
June 5, 2023
Re: USC Gould School of Law

Law schools have been adapting to the increase in technological advancements, especially with the increased need for attorneys with the creation of AI. “Attorneys work on the front end, conducting threat assessments to ensure that their clients’ systems and data are protected, and on the back end, to navigate any legal issues that may arise as a result of the attacks," Gruzas said.

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

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"Fish, Whales, and a Blue Ethics for the Anthropocene: How Do We Think About the Last Wild Food in the Twenty-First Century?," 95:6 Southern California Law Review 1307-1343 (April 2023).

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"Toward a Global Sustainable Development Agenda Built on Resilience" (with Murray W. Scown, Craig R. Allen, Lance Gunderson, David G. Angeler, Jorge H. Garcia, & Ahjond Garmestani), Global Sustainability (online publication April 2023).