IRS Senior Advisor for Affordable Care Act Nicole Elliott Joins Holland & Knight
WASHINGTON (March 8, 2016) – Nicole Elliott, the former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) senior advisor for the Affordable Care Act, has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group in Washington, D.C.
At the IRS, Ms. Elliott was the lead executive responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Affordable Care Act implementation. She played an integral role in drafting notices and regulations, forms and instructions, and developing compliance plans. On numerous occasions, she was called upon to negotiate the more complex aspects of the healthcare law, not only within the IRS, but also as its key liaison with the executive branch and other government agencies such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, she was the IRS point of contact for Congress regarding the Affordable Care Act and frequently briefed Capitol Hill staff on the law and provided advice on legislative proposals. Prior to her work with the IRS, Ms. Elliott served at the U.S. Department of Justice in various roles, including trial attorney for the Tax Division.
Ms. Elliott was involved in several cases before the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the Affordable Care Act, as well as the IRS regulations regarding the availability of subsidies through health insurance marketplaces established by the federal government, the constitutionality of which was upheld in King v. Burwell.
"No one has more knowledge of the Affordable Care Act than Nicole, and we are thrilled that she has decided to join our firm," said Gerry Sikorski, the head of Holland & Knight's Government Section. "She will be of particular value in helping our clients navigate the nearly 50 tax provisions of the law, including the Cadillac tax, the employer reporting provision and the employer mandate, the health insurer provider fee, the branded prescription drug fee and the medical device excise tax, which affect not only every individual in the country, but also the majority of employers, health insurance providers, charitable hospitals, plan administrators and businesses in a variety of industries."
"Nicole has enormous credibility when it comes to representation before Congress and the executive branch regarding the Affordable Care Act," said Rich Gold, the leader of Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group. "She will be a powerful voice for our clients during the development of regulations or when they are seeking clarification of the final regulations. And, when the inevitable controversies arise, she will be poised to steer them through various tax liabilities."
"With its strong government, tax, employee benefits and healthcare practices, Holland & Knight is uniquely positioned to be the leading resource for companies as they come to terms with the reality of the Affordable Care Act," said Ms. Elliott. "At this point, there's a veritable chasm of unanswered questions, and I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues to provide representation to clients as they address the challenges and implications of complying with this new and complex law."
Given her significant tax policy experience, Ms. Elliott also will advise clients on corporate tax reform, which is a priority on Capitol Hill this year.