Thomas D. Sykes

Thomas D. Sykes is a leading federal tax litigator with a national reputation, currently practicing in Kirkland, Washington. Since 1982, he has been a senior tax-dispute lawyer, known for his expertise in federal tax law. Mr. Sykes previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented the IRS in court while working with the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, DC. His career also includes partnerships at a DC tax boutique and two major law firms in Chicago.

Throughout his career, Mr. Sykes has litigated federal tax cases potentially worth three to four billion dollars. Notably, he led a successful initiative to recover approximately two billion dollars for the nation's teaching hospitals. He also achieved a significant victory by convincing the DOJ and IRS to fully concede a $15 million bet-the-company tax case in a federal court in the Southeast.

Mr. Sykes has first-chaired numerous matters before IRS Exam, IRS Appeals, the Treasury Department, as well as federal trial and appellate courts. His contributions to the field are extensively published. In 2019, he relocated to the Seattle area to support his spouse's career. He continues to practice federal tax law nationwide and state tax law in Wisconsin, Illinois, and DC.