Dobay is former COST senior tax counsel and co-founder of Women in SALT.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP expanded its State and Local Tax (SALT) and Government Law & Policy Practices with the addition of Nikki E. Dobay as shareholder in the Portland, Oregon, and Sacramento offices. Dobay will be a technical resource to clients, advising on SALT issues that include state tax policy work, evaluating transactions, and litigating tax disputes.
“Adding Nikki to our team is part of the firm’s strategic growth plan in the state and local tax arenas,” Greenberg Traurig Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Duffy said. “Her unique experience as a tax practitioner with a government relations background means Nikki is well-positioned to be a phenomenal advocate for our clients.”
Dobay will focus her practice on state and local tax policy matters based on her deep understanding of government and legislative processes. She will also advise clients on a range of sophisticated multistate tax issues and represent clients in controversy matters, from audits to appellate litigation on a range of issues, including sales and use taxes, income and franchise taxes, and property taxes.
“Nikki is one of the most well-known and respected attorneys in the SALT field, and we are pleased that she was attracted to our growing national, state, and local practice, collaborative culture and innovative client-forward business strategies,” said Bradley R. Marsh, co-chair of the U.S. SALT Practice.
Dobay was most recently a partner at Eversheds Sutherland, and previously worked at the Council on State Taxation (COST), a major trade group of taxpaying corporations and one of two leading state and local taxation organizations in the country. As senior tax counsel at COST, Dobay monitored legislation in all 50 states and advocated on behalf of the association’s multijurisdictional taxpayers on state and local tax issues. She has worked closely with policymakers on significant state tax issues in several Western states, testifying numerous times before multiple state legislatures and taxing agencies.
“I am thrilled to join such forward-thinking, accomplished SALT and Government Law & Policy teams,” Dobay said. “I hope to enhance Greenberg Traurig’s already-stellar global platform by utilizing my previous experience in state tax policy and legislation.”
Dobay co-founded the networking group Women in SALT with fellow attorney Breen Schiller; the national organization connects women practitioners of state and local tax law. Dobay chairs the Laws Committee, a subcommittee of the Oregon State Bar Association. She speaks often at taxation conferences and is frequently quoted by the media on prevailing tax policy issues. Dobay comes on board an expanding SALT practice, which includes Shail P. Shah and DeAndré R. Morrow who both joined the firm earlier this year from Reed Smith LLP.
Dobay received her LL.M. in Taxation, magna cum laude, from Capital University Law School, a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Oregon, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Mercyhurst University. She is admitted to practice in California, Ohio, and Oregon.
About Greenberg Traurig's State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s SALT Practice assists companies in need of state and local tax counsel whether in a single location or multiple locations throughout the United States. With the largest footprint of any law firm in the United States, the SALT Practice has attorneys in 17 of the firm’s domestic offices, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Florida, New York, Oregon, and Texas. Our breadth of experience across the full SALT spectrum allows us to offer a wide range of services, including counseling and controversy. We also regularly partner with the firm’s nationally recognized Government Law and Policy Practice to help shape the law which affects our clients most.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with its state and local practices across the country. The firm’s national team of governmental affairs professionals and attorneys spans major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Austin, Denver, New York City, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. Most recently, Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy team was “Top Listed” for Government Relations in Best Lawyers in America’s 2018 edition. The team was also named “Law Firm of the Year” for Government Relations by the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 edition of "Best Law Firms." The practice also received the most first-tier Government Relations rankings in the U.S.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program certifies that the firm’s U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.