Mark Rizik is Chair of the firm’s Taxation and Exempt Organizations practices. He has broad and deep experience in tax and business matters, has served as a tax and business advisor for some of the country’s largest companies, and is one of the most highly awarded tax and business attorneys in the country.

Prior Work Experience
Previously Mr. Rizik was the Senior Trial Attorney for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. He was also the Special Assistant United States Attorney.

Tax Litigation, Controversy and Planning Experience
Mr. Rizik has successfully tried or handled hundreds of tax cases and successfully handled tax disputes at all stages. His cases have resulted in many nationally published opinions. He has also served as a tax advisor for some of the country’s largest companies and has frequently been asked to consult with CPA firms and other law firms on tax matters.

Business Law Experience
He also has served as a business consultant for major companies and wealthy individuals for many years and has received multiple awards as a specialist in mergers & acquisitions, healthcare business law, and other business and finance related areas.

Awards and Honors

Mr. Rizik has been recognized as one of the nation’s top tax lawyers and has received, among others, the following awards and honors:

• He has consistently been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America in multiple specialties (including Tax Law, Tax Litigation and Controversy, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Banking and Finance Law, and Health Care Law).
• Additionally, Best Lawyers has named him a “Lawyer of the Year” six times, three times in Tax Litigation and Controversy, twice in Tax Law, and once in Mergers and Acquisition Law.
• He has been recognized, on multiple occasions, as one of America’s Most Honored Lawyers – Top 1% (The American Registry).
• He has consistently been rated an AV Preeminent Attorney (Martindale-Hubbell)
• Grand Rapids Magazinehas named him one of its Top Lawyers in multiple years
• He has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer in tax and other areas many times
• He has received a Special Achievement Award from the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.

Other Prior Positions
Mr. Rizik is a member of Michigan State Bar Tax Council and Michigan State Bar – Coordinator of After-Hours Tax Series Seminars. He is also the Treasurer of the Grand Rapids Bar.

Seminars and Presentations
Mr. Rizik has lectured, conducted seminars or made presentations many times on, among other things, matters relating to tax litigation, tax controversies, tax penalty cases, tax refund procedures, tax statutes of limitations, tax planning, estates and trusts, mergers and acquisitions, employee leasing, passive losses, S corporations, limited liability companies, choice of entities, tax issues in settlements, successor liability for taxes, personal liability for entity taxes, family business succession, family offices, mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions, and selected Constitutional Law issues.

He has made presentations to, or for, the following groups, among others:

• Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants
• State Bar of Michigan
• Seidman School of Business at Grand Valley State University
• West Michigan Tax Executives Institute
• Michigan State University
• Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Holt/Diamondale Business Alliance
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education
• Lorman Business Center
• Various CPA firms

Education
Mr. Rizik received his LLM in Taxation from Wayne State University Law School and his Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Mr. Rizik was admitted to and trained in the prestigious IRS Chief Counsel’s Office Honors Program.