Robert M. Tobiassen

Chief Counsel

Robert M. Tobiassen is the Chief Counsel, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC. The legal office he heads is responsible for rendering interpretive legal memoranda, reviewing regulations and administrative rulings, drafting legislation, and evaluating enforcement actions and litigation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, and other Federal laws relating to alcohol and tobacco products. His practice areas are taxation, regulation, international trade and general law and ethics. Mr. Tobiassen represents TTB in contacts with congressional committees, Federal and State agencies, and trade associations and public interest advocacy groups. He serves on the United States delegations to the World Trade Organization and on the United States team negotiating bi-lateral trade agreements. From 1992 to 2002, Mr. Tobiassen was a delegate to the International Office of Vine and Wine, Paris. He was also instrumental in organizing the International Conference on Illicit Tobacco Trade held at the United Nations Headquarters, which was attended by delegates from 142 countries. Mr. Tobiassen has taught foreign government representatives in training sponsored by the Department of State and has made presentations at government and industry sponsored conferences, including the 2002 Annual Meeting of the International Trademark Association, and for staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Mr. Tobiassen started his career with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Chief Counsel in 1978, in Washington, DC, and is a member of the Senior Executive Service. From 1985 to 1988, he served in the ATF counsel office in San Francisco before returning to Washington, DC. Prior to becoming Chief Counsel for TTB, Mr. Tobiassen was the Associate Chief Counsel (Alcohol and Tobacco) for ATF. He received the 2003 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives.

Mr. Tobiassen is a native of California. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with an A.B. Political Science in 1975, with distinction. He earned his J.D. in 1978 from Lewis and Clark College, School of Law and served on the law review. Mr. Tobiassen went on to earn a Masters of Law (Taxation) from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1982.