A DOJ Tax person forwarded me an email from David Hubbert to DOJ Tax personnel on Grover Hartt's passing on August 14, 2017.
A public memorial service will be held in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 2:00pm, with a reception from 3-5pm. Both events will be at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 Northwest Highway, Dallas.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, to the SPCA of Texas, or the charity of your choice.
The online obituary at Sparkman Hillcrest is here, and the guestbook site for remembrances and condolences is here.
Hubbert's email was:
A public memorial service will be held in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 2:00pm, with a reception from 3-5pm. Both events will be at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 Northwest Highway, Dallas.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, to the SPCA of Texas, or the charity of your choice.
The online obituary at Sparkman Hillcrest is here, and the guestbook site for remembrances and condolences is here.
Hubbert's email was:
Yesterday, Grover Hartt, III, the Chief of the Southwestern Civil Trial Section, passed away unexpectedly. The Tax Division mourns the loss of a great trial attorney, mentor, leader, and friend.
Grover joined the Tax Division in 1983. Since then Grover held positions as trial attorney, the Deputy Attorney in Charge of the Dallas Field Office, Assistant Chief in the Southwestern Civil Trial Section, Senior Litigation Counsel, and finally the Chief in the Southwestern Civil Trial Section. Over the course of his Tax Division career, Grover profoundly influenced all of those who had the opportunity to work with him.
Grover earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues in the Department of Justice through his decades of steadfast service in tax enforcement and administration. Grover’s courtroom exploits included leading numerous trial teams that handled some of the nation’s most complex tax controversies involving billions of dollars. Not only was Grover a gifted trial attorney, he was also a teacher and mentor. For attorneys looking to learn, Grover shared his deep knowledge of tax law, bankruptcy practice, persuasive writing, and courtroom presentation. And for those seeking to sharpen their courtroom skills, Grover put his attorneys in positions to succeed and offered them guidance on how to improve.
Throughout his career, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service recognized Grover’s achievements as a trial attorney, instructor, and manager many times over. In 2011, the President awarded Grover the Rank Award for Meritorious Service. The Attorney General awarded Grover the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, as well as the John Marshall Award for his leadership in guiding his trial team through a complex tax dispute to a favorable result. The Tax Division conferred the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, Award for Managerial Excellence, and numerous Special Commendations and Outstanding Attorney Awards. The IRS Office of Chief Counsel awarded him the IRS Mitchell Rogovin Award for Outstanding Support to the Office of Chief Counsel after a trial team lead by Grover obtained successful resolution in a complex, multi-party bankruptcy dispute. In addition, the IRS frequently called upon Grover to speak at various trainings and programs conducted by the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. Grover’s talent for teaching strategies in conducting depositions and settlement negotiations cemented a reputation not only as an outstanding legal advocate but a teacher as well.
Grover’s significant contributions reached beyond his government service and included his leadership in several national and local legal associations. Grover served in the American Bar Association’s Tax Section for over 20 years and chaired a subcommittee on bankruptcy litigation. Grover served as a counsel-member in the State Bar of Texas’ LGBT Law Section from 2012 to 2014. Over several years, Grover served in multiple roles in the Dallas Bar Association’s Tax Section, which culminated in chairing the Section in 2009. In addition to his leadership, Grover wrote several articles for bar journals, and authored two chapters in the Collier on Bankruptcy treatise. He was a Master in the Honorable John C. Ford American Inn of Court in Dallas. In light of these contributions, and others, Grover was selected as the first government trial attorney to become a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy in 2002. He was listed in Who’s Who in American Law and selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly.
This brief recitation does not truly capture the consummate professional that Grover was and all that he achieved and contributed. He was a cherished colleague and friend. And he will be deeply missed by all of us.
I was formerly am a member of a tax procedure group in Houston and stay on the mailing list. Paul Asofsky, a prominent, now retired, tax practitioner (formerly with Weil Gotshal) in Houston sent to the tax procedure group the following remembrance about Grover:
ReplyDeleteI arrived in Houston in 1999 to start a tax department for my firm. In the first matter I took on, we represented a creditors committee in a small case. There were $15-20 million dollars of assets in the estate and the IRS filed a proof of claim for $160 million. Grover took the position that any work we did should not be charged to the estate since whatever happened the IRS priority would eat up the whole estate. We were playing with the government's money. The judge gave me a week to read the file and affirm in good faith that the claim might be worth less than $15 million. The claim was bogus. Thirteen years of interest would disappear to the extent we beat the tax and under the then law any penalties would be subordinated. On the night before we were due in court, I called Grover to give him my preliminary conclusions. Grover stood up in court and announced that the government was dropping its objection to our getting paid from the estate. Over the ensuing weeks Grover met with me and an embarrassed IRS Appeals Officer and was instrumental in getting the case settled for a small amount. Over the ensuing years, Grover and I were adversaries in a number of bankruptcy cases. We represented our clients and behaved as lawyers should behave. He was a consummate professional. Also, during much of this time I chaired the bankruptcy committee of the ABA Tax Section. Grover attended frequently and his contributions were invaluable. It must be rare to shed a tear for an adversary, but I have. This is a huge loss.