Holding Redlich expands tax practice with former ATO Deputy Chief Tax Counsel Michael Patane joining as partner and a new special counsel

National law firm Holding Redlich today announces the appointment of former Australian Taxation Office Deputy Chief Tax Counsel Michael Patane as Partner and Eli Bursky as Special Counsel to further strengthen the firm’s tax practice across tax advisory, tax controversy and dispute resolution.

The appointments expand Holding Redlich’s ability to advise clients on federal and state taxes, tax audits and reviews, objections, litigation and engagement with federal and state revenue authorities. Michael and Eli’s appointments, together with additional hires across the practice, will bring Holding Redlich’s tax team to 12.

Michael Patane brings more than 25 years’ experience advising government, multinational corporations, private groups, charities and high-net-worth individuals on federal and state tax, and commercial matters.

A former Deputy Chief Tax Counsel at the Australian Taxation Office, Michael specialises in tax advisory and trust law, including corporate restructures, estate planning and tax litigation matters in the Administrative Review Tribunal and Federal Court. He also has deep expertise in GST and complex disputes involving property-based and operational arrangements.

Eli Bursky joins the firm’s Sydney office and advises private groups and high-net-worth individuals on direct and indirect tax matters, including mergers and acquisitions, restructures, financing transactions, tax disputes and employee share schemes. He has previously held roles in private practice in both Australia and the United Kingdom, and at the Australian Government Solicitor, where he worked on tax litigation matters for the Commissioner of Taxation.

Holding Redlich Partner Dhanushka Jayawardena said Michael and Eli bring experience across both advisory and contentious tax matters at a time when clients are facing increasingly complex regulatory scrutiny.

“We are pleased to welcome Michael and Eli to Holding Redlich,” Dhanushka said. “Michael’s experience as Deputy Chief Tax Counsel at the Australian Taxation Office, combined with his background advising clients across tax disputes and complex commercial transactions, brings significant depth of expertise to the practice.

“Their combined experience across tax advisory, disputes and litigation further strengthens our ability to support our clients engaging with revenue authorities and managing complex and largescale tax matters on a national level,” he added.

Michael said Holding Redlich’s integrated commercial and tax advisory and disputes practice was a strong fit for his experience advising clients through commercial transactions, tax reviews, audits and litigation matters.

“Clients are increasingly seeking advisers who understand both the technical, procedural and practical aspects of dealing with the various taxation laws, revenue authorities and resolving disputes efficiently,” Michael said.

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