Dr. Thomas Brennan

Biography

Thomas J. Brennan is the Stanley S. Surrey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he serves as the Director of the Fund for Tax and Fiscal Policy Research. His research utilizes mathematical tools and financial economic theory to analyze tax law and foster ideas for tax policy reform. His studies span various areas including taxation of capital and financial instruments, as well as strategic tax planning. Brennan employs empirical methods to assess the effects of tax laws, focusing on the behaviors of multinational corporations in response to tax holidays and changes in taxation for overseas earnings. Additionally, his work critiques the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), examines the impact of economic conditions on judicial decision-making, and uses economic financial theory to study laws that limit systemic financial risks. He received his A.B. in Mathematics from Princeton University in 1994, followed by an A.M. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Harvard University in 1995 and 1998, respectively, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2001. Brennan began his career as a tax attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and worked as a strategist for the Capital Markets Strategies group at Goldman Sachs. His previous academic positions include visiting roles at Columbia Law School and Northwestern University School of Law, and he has taught at the Kellogg School of Management and served as a Visiting Scholar at MIT Sloan School of Management.

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