Biography

Karen Hughes Rodrigues focuses primarily on income tax planning for complex business transactions. With a variety of experience representing public and private corporations and their shareholders, as well as pass-through entities and their owners, Ms. Rodrigues brings value to her clients through both depth and breadth of knowledge on income tax matters. Ms. Rodrigues also regularly handles cross-border transactions and the wide-ranging issues that surface in such situations, such as withholding and the application of income tax treaties.

By becoming extensively familiar with the businesses she represents, Ms. Rodrigues is able to help her clients solve problems efficiently and effectively.

Ms. Rodrigues also has experience with estate planning matters, with a particular focus on family-owned businesses and structuring to transfer family assets to younger generations.

More about Karen Hughes Rodrigues: Experience | Involvement | Recognition | Speeches / Publications |

Representative Matters

• Advised large, privately-held partnership in contentious tax negotiations related to complex merger with multi-billion dollar competitor.


• Advised publicly-traded oil & gas company on high-yield debt, common stock and convertible preferred stock offerings (some in excess of $1 billion).


• Conducted complex repatriation of multi-generational, family-owned business.


• Handled cross-border dispositions and acquisitions of substantial business enterprises.


• Handled frontier investment tax credit (ITC) tax planning for renewable energy transactions, tax investment partnerships and importation of energy efficient materials.


• Worked extensively with "family offices" on ultra-high net-worth family issues, passive losses and at-risk rules.


• Advised large business with respect to conversion from a corporation to a pass-through entity followed by an $80 million asset acquisition.


• Successfully requested dispensation for inadvertent invalid S corporation elections, including through the private letter ruling process.

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Organization Membership

Ms. Rodrigues is a member of the Tax Sections of the Dallas Bar Association and the Texas Bar and is a member of the Partnerships and LLCs committee of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association. She is also a member of the 2007-08 Leadership Arts class of the NTBCA, the Leadership Arts Alumni Association, The Producers and a founding member of Marquee Circle.

Community Involvement

Ms. Rodrigues has been a member of the Board of Directors of Shakespeare Dallas since 2008, having served previously as Treasurer and Vice-Chair and currently serving as Chair. She is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Young Professionals of Greater Dallas (2006-2008). Additionally, Ms. Rodrigues co-chaired the Leadership Arts steering committee that founded Marquee Circle, the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Art Support Group.

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Peer Recognition

Ms. Rodrigues was named a "Rising Star" by Thomson Reuters (2008).

More about Karen Hughes Rodrigues: Biography | Experience | Involvement | Speeches / Publications |

Speeches / Publications

Ms. Rodrigues was a named contributor to comments on proposed carried interest legislation submitted to Congress by the State Bar of Texas Section of Taxation and to comments on Section 706 proposed regulations submitted to the Internal Revenue Service by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. In addition, Ms. Rodrigues has presented on various income tax topics, including a presentation on hot topics in partnerships and LLCs at the May 2010 ABA Tax Section meeting in Washington D.C.

Ms. Rodrigues has also authored the following:

Links to Publications

• e-Alert: IRS Gives Employers A Fresh Start Opportunity for Misclassifying Employees
• Cancellation of Debt Income - The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected
• Treasury Releases Much-Needed Guidance for REMICs

More about Karen Hughes Rodrigues: Biography | Experience | Involvement | Recognition |