Walter B. Slocombe is a member in Caplin & Drysdale’s Washington, D.C. office. He focuses his practice primarily on civil litigation, defense trade, and exempt organizations.
Mr. Slocombe first joined the firm as an associate in 1971 and became a member in 1974. His time at the firm has been interrupted by periods of service in the United States Department of Defense, most recently as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 1994 to 2001 and in 2003, as Senior Advisor for National Defense in the Coalition Provisional Authority for Iraq. In 2004, President Bush appointed him to the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.
In his litigation practice, Mr. Slocombe has handled a variety of cases at both the trial and appellate levels. The cases have involved both tax and general law issues, including successfully arguing in the U.S. Supreme Court a case in which he had participated in all prior stages, including IRS appeal, Tax Court trial, and Fourth Circuit review.
Mr. Slocombe was chairman of the subcommittees of the ABA Tax Section’s Exempt Organization Committee that dealt with private foundations and the unrelated business income tax. He served as the Committee’s representative to the Section’s task force on integration of the corporate and individual income taxes. He has also been a member of various advisory or governing boards of several academic and defense analysis institutions.
Mr. Slocombe was awarded the Department of Defense’s Distinguished Public Service Medal (1981, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2004) and its Joseph Kruzel Award for Distinguished Service in the Pursuit of Peace (2000), and has been named an Honorary Submariner by the Fleet Submarine Force. His international service has been recognized by awards from the Polish, German, and Korean governments. He has published numerous articles and monographs on tax law issues and on defense policy and organization.