Cavanagh, Rita A.

Rita A. Cavanagh

Retired Partner

Rita Cavanagh retired from the partnership in January 2014. Ms. Cavanagh specialized in tax controversy and litigation matters, and has participated in numerous cases before the:

  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Examination Division and Appeals Office 
  • US Tax Court 
  • US Court of Federal Claims 
  • US Courts of Appeals

At the time of her retirement, she was a member of the American Bar Association, Section of Taxation and is a former Vice Chair of the Court Procedure and Practice Committee.

Ms. Cavanagh was Associate Tax Legislative Counsel at the Department of Treasury, Office of Tax Policy, where she was responsible for legislative and regulatory matters involving federal administrative and judicial tax procedure, including:

  • Corporate tax shelter disclosure and registration 
  • Circular 230 
  • Interest netting 
  • IRS Appeals Office ex parte procedures 
  • Prefiling agreement and comprehensive case resolution programs 
  • Lien, levy, offer-in-compromise and other collection procedures 
  • Other legislative or regulatory initiatives related to tax practice and procedure

She was the recipient of several service awards from the Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy).

Education

  • JD, Yale Law School, 1987
  • MA, University of California, Berkeley, 1978
  • BA, State University of New York, Albany, 1973
    summa cum laude