Newly appointed senior associate Eileen Liu and the head of ABL’s tax practice, Paul Sokolowski, are working side by side to overturn an outdated tax ruling that prevents families from claiming child care fees as a tax deduction.
As reported in Lawyers Weekly, Paul and Eileen, along with special counsel Bridgid Cowling, are running the case pro bono on behalf of several litigants from diverse family and employment backgrounds.
The article notes that Eileen’s promotion coincides with Paul’s 25th year as a partner with the firm. Eileen tells Lawyers Weekly that she considers it a privilege to work on a matter that has the potential to remove one of the biggest obstacles to women participating in the workforce. Paul agrees, saying: “It doesn’t pass the politician’s pub test. Once of the arguments put to the High Court 50 years ago – unsuccessfully – was that having someone look after your child actually makes an employee more efficient. And that’s precisely what deductibility, in principle, should be based on.”
