Matthew Sperry is a partner in McGuireWoods' Private Wealth Services group and
focuses his practice on international tax, corporate and securities matters. Matthew
serves as co-chair of McGuireWoods' Global Private Client practice, a firm initiative that
serves the multi-disciplinary legal needs of global families, family offices and trust
companies. His global corporate experience, combined with his experience as a
practicing tax lawyer, specifically qualifies him to coordinate and deliver a broad
spectrum of global legal services on an efficient, coordinated and holistic basis. Matthew
regularly travels within the United States and abroad to provide his clients with superior
service, while attending to their global legal needs.
International Tax Planning
Matthew C. Sperry
Partner
T: +1 312 849 8155
F: +1 312 698 4513
[email protected]
77 West Wacker Drive
Suite 4100
Chicago, IL 60601-1818
PRACTICES
Tax
Corporate
International Tax
Private Wealth Services
Matthew routinely develops solutions for the complex tax issues confronted by high-networth individuals and families and family offices as they interact with the United States
tax system. Matthew has extensive experience designing and implementing holistic
family structures that solve for global taxation challenges, wealth transfer and succession,
information reporting, asset protection, privacy and family office compliance. His client
base includes families resident throughout the world, including China, India, Latin
America, the Middle East, Europe and Canada. Matthew regularly works with other
family advisers (including accountants, lawyers, trustees and financial advisers) both
within and outside of the United States to provide holistic advice to clients that interact
with multiple countries.
Matthew’s tax experience includes serving as a federal law clerk to Judge Carolyn P.
Chiechi of the United States Tax Court in Washington, DC. Matthew also holds a
Master’s Degree in Tax Law from the University of Florida.
Family Direct Investing
Cross-Border Transactions
Mergers and Acquisitions
Family Business and Family Office
Services
INDUSTRIES
Global Private Client
Matthew has deep expertise representing high-net-worth individuals and families, family
offices and trust companies representing family interests, in connection with their direct
investing activities. He regularly leads practitioners from McGuireWoods’ highly ranked
Corporate, Tax and Private Wealth Services practices to provide global high-net-worth
clients with a broad spectrum of sophisticated legal services as they invest in and operate
businesses globally. In serving global private clients, Matthew offers a holistic approach
aimed at addressing their particular legal and family needs, including those related to
privacy, asset protection and cross-border tax structuring. He regularly assists clients in
navigating the complex cultural, legal, tax and business challenges posed by cross-border
transactions and has led transactions involving a wide range of industries, including
manufacturing, hospitality, chemicals, electronics, software, technology, food and
beverage, oil and gas and health care.
Private Investment Funds
Matthew’s client base includes private investment funds, including private equity
managers, venture capital firms and commodity pool operators. He often advises fund
managers on fund formation, securities offerings, investment advisor registration issues,
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Matthew C. Sperry
and SEC and CFTC compliance matters. Matthew has broad experience dealing with
the securities and tax issues that can arise when fund managers desire to accept capital
from sources both within and outside of the United States.
EXPERIENCE
• Representation of a Fortune Global 100 company in its disposition of a global
manufacturing division conducting business in over 25 countries, leading a crossborder legal team of over 20 lawyers.
• Representation of the family office of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its
investment in global oil and gas properties, including the negotiation of a long-term
development arrangement.
• Representation of a Fortune Global 100 company in its acquisition of a water
treatment business conducted in 15 countries.
• Representation of the family office of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its
acquisition of a Manhattan hotel and its redevelopment into a mixed-use project.
• Representation of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its acquisition of a global hotel
management company.
• Representation of the family office of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its
acquisition of a German-based manufacturer of precision industrial equipment.
• Representation of the family office of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its
acquisition in a Section 363 bankruptcy proceeding of a leading developer of road
and paving technologies.
• Representation of a Fortune Global 500 company in its disposition of its coffee
business to a strategic buyer.
• Representation of an ultra-high-net-worth family in its acquisition of numerous
private aircraft, including developing and implementing a tax efficient structure for
the aircraft and registering the aircraft with the FAA.
EDUCATION
• University of Florida Levin College of Law, LLM
• University of Florida Levin College of Law, JD
• University of Florida, BBA
ADMISSIONS
• Florida
• Illinois
EVENTS
• Presenter, "Cross Border Estate and Income Tax Planning," Estate Planning –
Beyond the Basics, Pennsylvania Bar Institute CLE, Pittsburgh, April 2017
• Speaker, "Cross Border Estate and Tax Planning," New Developments in Tax and
Wealth Planning Seminar, April 25, 2017
• Speaker, "Foreign Investment into the United States – Opportunities for U.S. Trust
Companies," 11th Annual Fiduciary Advisory Services Seminar, October 5, 2016
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Matthew C. Sperry
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