Walter B. Slocombe is a Senior Counsel in Caplin & Drysdale's Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Slocombe first joined the firm as an associate in 1971 and became a member in 1974.
Services
Mr. Slocombe focuses his practice primarily on complex litigation, defense trade, and exempt organizations. In his litigation practice, he has handled a variety of cases at both the trial and appellate levels. The cases have involved both tax and general law issues, including successfully arguing in the U.S. Supreme Court a case in which he had participated in all prior stages, including IRS appeal, Tax Court trial, and Fourth Circuit review.
Highlights
Mr. Slocombe's time at the firm has been interrupted by periods of service in the United States Department of Defense, most recently as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 1994 to 2001 and in 2003, as Senior Advisor for National Defense in the Coalition Provisional Authority for Iraq. In 2004, President Bush appointed him to the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Professional Activities
Mr. Slocombe was chairman of the subcommittees of the ABA Tax Section's Exempt Organization Committee that dealt with private foundations and the unrelated business income tax. He served as the Committee's representative to the Section's task force on integration of the corporate and individual income taxes. He has also been a member of various advisory or governing boards of several academic and defense analysis institutions.
Awards & Honors
- Listed in the 2010-2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Tax Law
- Awarded the Department of Defense's Distinguished Public Service Medal (1981, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2004) and the Joseph Kruzel Award for Distinguished Service in the Pursuit of Peace (2000)
- Named an Honorary Submariner by the Fleet Submarine Force
- Recognized for his international service by the Polish, German, and Korean governments