Marcy Jo Mandel

Practice Areas

Marcy Jo Mandel focuses her practice on state and local tax (SALT) controversies, in addition to advising clients of federal tax controversies, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and provides state tax strategies for clients on a full range of state tax issues.

Before returning to private practice in January 2015, Marcy Jo served as Deputy State Controller, Taxation, representing the California State Controller, a statewide elected constitutional officer, on the State Board of Equalization and the Franchise Tax Board. Additionally, she represented the Controller on the California Streamlined Sales Tax Project Board of Governance. Marcy Jo represented the Controller on the California Commission on Tax Policy in the New Economy during its two-year existence, and also represented the Controller on other boards and commissions, including specifically the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and the State Lands Commission, on an as needed basis. In her role, Marcy Jo occupied the highest appointed tax position in California and served three consecutive State Controllers. As senior advisor to the Controller, she testified before the IRS Oversight Board. She also testified before California legislative committees on tax matters.

Marcy Jo previously was a tax litigator involved in federal, state and local tax for more than 15 years. She was a law clerk for the late Honorable Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr., of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and was an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School for five years and is a former Chair of the California State Bar Taxation Section.