Law360, New York (December 19, 2013, 1:34 PM ET) -- Reed Smith LLP’s Mardiros Dakessian helped his clients land a blockbuster $100 million in tax relief in the past year and forced California to roll back unconstitutional portions of a small business stock incentive, earning him a spot among Law360’s Tax MVPs.

Before Dakessian entered the world of BigLaw tax litigation, he honed his tax knowledge through graduate research work with the California State Board of Equalization and a stint as legal counsel to former BOE member Claude Parrish — experiences that have given Dakessian an easy familiarity with the public and private spheres of state tax practice and have been a boon to clients searching for the best ways to fight state assessments.

“Without that insiders’ perspective I wouldn’t be as practical and solution-oriented and would likely rush to litigate,” Dakessian told Law360.

But when Dakessian does find himself inside the courtroom, he is a methodical and purposeful litigator, judging from his record in the past year.

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