Possessing sophisticated knowledge in navigating the myriad federal, state and local tax laws, Dean Krishna advises businesses of all sizes in a wide array of domestic and international tax and business matters. He is chair of the firm’s tax practice.
Dean counsels businesses of all sizes in connection with mergers and acquisitions; registered funds and commercial securities offerings; private fund agreements, investments and structuring; business restructurings; and general domestic and cross-border tax planning. He provides deal-specific tax advice and counsel to numerous high-profile transactions and projects, including in acquisitions involving firms with billions in assets under management.
Building upon his background as a corporate lawyer, Dean layers in practical, solution-oriented tax advice. He provided representation in connection with the recent formation, registration, listing and launch of one of several spot ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to receive listing approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Dean is regularly recognized for resolving the most complex of tax issues in an efficient and economical manner.
Dean is frequently called upon by the Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to serve as a guest lecturer and outside tax counsel.
Featured Representative Matters
Represented Mutual Group Inc., a national platform serving independent financial advisers and registered investment advisers, in a transaction involving a strategic investment by Emigrant Partners to enable Mutual to expand its national footprint and position its business for growth.
Represented Covetrus, a Portland, Maine-based global animal-health technology and services company, in its agreement for Chewy Inc. to acquire its subsidiary SmartPak Equine, a leading U.S. provider of direct-to-consumer equine nutraceutical supplements.
Advised Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, a Lansdowne, Virginia-based wealth management firm, in its merger with Cerity Partners, a full-service wealth management firm in the United States.
Represented Franklin Templeton in the launch of Franklin Crypto Index ETF, a new index-based, digital-asset-backed ETP.
Represented the special committee to Blue Owl Capital Corp. III,a specialty finance company regulated as a business development company, in a merger with Blue Owl Capital Corp.
Represented TradePMR, a custodial and portfolio management platform for registered investment advisers, in an approximately $300 million acquisition by Robinhood Markets Inc.
Represented Franklin Templeton in launching the Franklin Ethereum ETF, one of the industry’s first spot ether exchange-traded products (ETPs). The Franklin Ethereum ETF issues shares backed by ether held by the fund’s custodian and is registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
Represented Wealth Legacy Institute, a Denver-based financial planning and investment management firm, in its merger with Cerity Partners, a financial and wealth advisory firm headquartered in New York City.
Assisted CenterSquare Investment Management, a global real estate investment manager, with an equity investment in Aligned Data Centers, one of the largest and fastest-growing private data center developers in the Americas.
Represented Chatham Financial, a global leader in financial risk management advisory and technology, in its acquisition of EA Markets.
Represented Lumina Financial Consultants, a financial planning and wealth management services provider, in a merger with Cerity Partners.
Advised Pacific Life in the sale of its third‐party credit asset management firm, Pacific Asset Management LLC — which at closing managed over $20 billion — to Aristotle Capital Management LLC.
Represented McGervey Wealth Management, a wealth management firm with approximately $105 million in assets under management (AUM), in its sale to Mariner Wealth Advisors.
Advised Berkshire Asset Management (BAM) in its sale of a minority stake to iM Global Partner, a leading global asset management network.
Represented Union Square Capital Partners, an investment management firm, in its acquisition of the management of PREDEX, a real-estate-focused interval fund with approximately $163 million in AUM.
Community Impact
Dean serves as an admissions interviewer at Dartmouth College.
Memberships
Member, Stradley Ronon Inclusion Committee
Member, Tax Council, Philadelphia Bar Association
Member, CLE Committee, Tax Section, Philadelphia Bar Association
Recognitions
Chambers USA (Pennsylvania: Tax) (2023-26)
The Best Lawyers in America (Tax Law) (2026)
Excellence in Mentorship Award, Stradley Ronon (2024)
Power Players, The Legal Intelligencer (2023)
Best of the Bar: Philadelphia's Top Lawyers: Tax/Employee Benefits, Philadelphia Business Journal (2022)
Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (2022)
Featured Speaking Engagements
Speaker, “OB3 and Me: Understanding the Tax,” Philadelphia Bar Association 2025 Tax Section Annual Meeting
Panelist, "Moving or Investing Across Borders: Tax Traps for the Wary," Philadelphia Bar Association CLE
Speaker, "Selected Pass-Through Entity Tax Issues," Pennsylvania Bar Institute CLE
Panelist, "Expanding Your Business to the United States," The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and Stradley Ronon
Panelist, “IRS Tax Update on 2020 Changes," Pennsylvania Bar Institute Webinar
Panelist, “Three Years for Long-Term Capital Gains,” Stradley Ronon and Siegfried Advisory Webcast
Panelist, “Ready for the New Partnership Audit Rules: Tax, Regulatory and Practical Considerations,” CSC Webinar
Panelist, “Tax Reform: Lessons Learned,” Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry
Panelist, “Commercial Real Estate Discussion (Opportunity Zones),” RMA Philadelphia
Speaker, “State and Local Tax Impacts of the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Section Annual Meeting),” Philadelphia Bar Association CLE
Speaker, “The Fundamentals of Investing in Qualified Opportunity Zones,” Philadelphia Bar Association CLE
