Admitted to:
- Oregon State Bar (2001)
- Washington State Bar (2001)
- Tulane University (B.A., 1998, magna cum laude)
- University of Oregon School of Law (J.D., 2001)
- University of Washington School of Law (LL. M., 2002)
- Jurisdictional tax counsel and consulting
- Working with midsize and large companies with a multi-jurisdictional footprint
- Counseling regional and national companies involved in audits before the Oregon or Washington Departments of Revenue
- Working with business owners on tax or planning issues for Oregon or Southwest Washington
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Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar Taxation Section, Chair 2010
Oregon State Bar Tax Institute Planning Committee (2006-2011)
Washington State Bar
Portland Tax Forum, Chair elect, 2012; Executive Committee Member, 2010-Present
Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Founding Member
United States District of Oregon Courts
United States Western District of Washington Courts
United States Tax Court
Oregon Women Lawyers
Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts, Board Leadership Training Graduate, 2008
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Junior Achievement of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Volunteer Board Member
Portland Taiko, Volunteer Board Member
CASH Oregon, Volunteer Tax Preparation
Minds Matter, Volunteer Mentor
Japan America Society of Oregon, Member
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“50 Tips for Advising Businesses with 50 or Fewer Employees”
“Multistate Update”
“Nexus Trends and Emerging Gross Receipts Taxes”
“Multistate Taxation”
“IP/Computer Tax Issues: The Next Generation”
Public Law 86-272: A Primer, Part I, Co-authored with Gary Holcomb, Tax Section Newsletter
Public Law 86-272: A Primer, Part II, Tax Section Newsletter
Minimizing Sales Taxes for the Speculative Building in Washington, Pacific Northwest Tax Wire
Keeping Confidences: Limitations of Accountant-Client Privilege, Pacific Northwest Tax Wire
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Oregon Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2009-2012)
Up and Coming Lawyer, Daily Journal of Commerce (2011)
Mentor of the Year, Taxation Section, Oregon State Bar (2011)
Alumni Profile, Oregon Lawyer
About Valerie
An energetic and talented tax attorney, Valerie is passionate about adding value to her clients' businesses and having an immediate, positive influence. When working with individual clients, she strives to improve their lives by taking complex tax situations and breaking them into manageable pieces with achievable outcomes.
Ms. Sasaki specializes in jurisdictional tax consulting, working closely with Fortune 50 companies involved in audits before the Oregon or Washington Departments of Revenue. She also works with business owners on tax and planning issues in Oregon or Southwest Washington.
Ms. Sasaki has represented clients in federal and state tax settlement negotiations, voluntary disclosure agreements, tax due diligence and tax controversy. She has also reviewed private equity funds for legal sufficiency as part of due diligence for foundation investments.
A “Big-4” accounting alumna who worked as a State and Local Tax Manager for KPMG LLP, Ms. Sasaki is also the Portland Tax Forum chair-elect, an IRS Liaison Committee member, and a non-member participant on the Oregon Certified Public Accountants’ committee on state and local tax legislation.
A Lake Oswego, OR native, Ms. Sasaki is passionate about giving back to her local community. She is especially committed to mentoring today’s bright young minds, and serves as a volunteer board member for Junior Achievement of Oregon and Southwest Washington, as well as Portland Taiko. She is a CASH Oregon volunteer, doing tax preparation for low-income working families and individuals. She is also a volunteer mentor for two low-income, high-achieving high school students preparing for college in the Minds Matter program.
Prior to joining Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP, Ms. Sasaki was an associate attorney with Portland-based Miller Nash LLP, working in their Tax and Business Practice Groups. She earned a B.A. from Tulane University; a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law; and a Master of Laws from the University of Washington School of Law.
She has earned Oregon Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition for the last four years, and was named a 2011 Up and Coming Lawyer in the Daily Journal of Commerce.