Bloomberg Tax & Accounting Recognizes Top International Authors with 2023 Awards at IFA Congress

Arlington, Va. (October 30, 2023) — Bloomberg Tax & Accounting announced today its 2023 Author Awards for International Tax, which were presented at the International Fiscal Association (IFA) Congress in Cancun last week. Peter Barnes of Caplin & Drysdale received the Leonard L. Silverstein Award for Distinguished Service in International Tax. Erika Bañuelos, Antenori Trevisan Neto, and Dr. Michael Schmidt were recognized with awards for outstanding authorship.

“Bloomberg Tax & Accounting relies on its authors for expertise and valuable, practical insights that help tax practitioners around the globe navigate change and increasing complexity in international tax,” said Lisa Fitzpatrick, President, Bloomberg Tax & Accounting. “We are thrilled to recognize Peter, Erika, Antenori, and Michael for their outstanding thought leadership and contributions that help our customers stay up to date on the latest developments and better understand the real-life implications on corporations and individuals.”

Peter Barnes, this year’s recipient of the Leonard L. Silverstein Award, was recognized for his longstanding contributions to the field of international tax. The award is named in honor of Leonard L. Silverstein, the founder of the Tax Management Portfolios™ and a leading practitioner in the field of taxation for more than 60 years.

“I thank Bloomberg Tax for honoring me with the Leonard L. Silverstein Award, which is especially meaningful to me as I had the privilege of knowing Leonard,” said Barnes. “Bloomberg Tax and the Tax Management Portfolios are built on a strong legacy and their expertise contributes every day to all of us who practice international tax.”

After more than 22 years as Senior International Tax Counsel for General Electric Co., Barnes joined Caplin & Drysdale as Of Counsel to the firm’s International Tax Group in 2013. He became president of IFA in November 2021. Barnes also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Duke Center for International Development (DCID) at Duke University where he teaches in Duke’s International Tax Program, which is jointly directed by DCID and Duke Law School. He also directs an annual week-long transfer pricing workshop for government tax officials and private sector advisors, many from developing countries.

Erika Bañuelos received the International Tax Contributor of the Year award for her work on the VAT Navigator and the Country Guide for Paraguay. Bañuelos was recognized for lending her practical perspectives from her experience in consulting services in tax and customs matters to multinational companies and business groups covering domestic and international matters. Her contributions included expanding coverage of the ‘Tax Incentive Regime for Capital Investment’ and the mechanics of VAT payments. Bañuelos leads Ferrere’s tax and customs practice in Asunción and also teaches international tax law at two of the main universities in Paraguay.

Antenori Trevisan Neto received the International Tax Contributor of the Year award for his work on the Country Guide for Brazil, including insightful analysis of changes in Brazilian tax law from his extensive experience in administrative tax litigation and tax structuring of relevant M&A deals involving multinationals in Brazil and abroad. His contributions included coverage of the significant impact OECD BEPS-related transfer pricing measures have had in Brazil and changes to social contribution thresholds. Trevisan Neto is a Tax Partner of Mundie and a member of the Advisory Board of the Brazilian Association of Financial Law, which represents IFA in Brazil.

Dr. Michael Schmidt was recognized as the International Tax Portfolio Author of the Year for his contributions to Business Operations in Germany Portfolio, where he added new sections on the German outlook on Pillars 1 and 2 and other EU Directives. He also incorporated planning points on the significant partnership law reform in Germany that goes into effect in 2024 and the circumstances under which foreign-to-foreign IP licensing is subject to German withholding tax. Schmidt advises companies and entrepreneurs on German and international tax law with a focus on domestic and cross-border investment and distribution structures, corporate succession, and estate planning.