The tax attorneys at Bullivant Houser Bailey PC provide full representation in federal, state, local, and international tax matters with offices in Oregon, Washington, California, and Nevada. We counsel individuals and private and public business entities, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and nonprofits, on tax matters in a variety of circumstances including business formations and operations including mergers and acquisitions, succession planning and reorganizations. Our attorneys provide sophisticated estate tax and trust planning, and advice and representation for trust administration, probate and litigation matters. We provide ERISA and tax advice to our clients including establishment and operation of single-employer and multi-employer pension plans, welfare benefit plans (including COBRA and HIPAA compliance) and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). In addition, our attorneys prepare and advise clients with respect to executive compensation arrangements (including executives of public companies) and equity incentive plans and deferred compensation. We represent clients in connection with their audit matters with federal and state taxing authorities, and with the Department of Labor in connection with their pension and welfare benefit matters.
The attorneys in our Tax Practice Group average 15 years of tax-centric experience, many of whom have Master of Laws degrees in Taxation. They are frequent speakers before a variety of private and bar groups on tax matters and publish tax topics on a regular basis. Our tax attorneys keep our clients current on the trends in legislation and before the courts by publishing eAlerts on relevant tax topics. We are active in bar and industry organizations with our tax attorneys being current or former executive committee members and chairs of Taxation Sections of the respective State Bar Associations as well as of the local and county bar associations, and of state and local associations of certified public accountants. We boast a Best Lawyer in America in Taxation as well as a local editor of a nationally respected tax publication. In addition, our tax attorneys are civic minded being involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors including nonprofit and community organizations.
Bullivant's attorneys provide the following services to assist clients with their tax needs:
Federal Taxation: We provide advice with respect to all aspects of U.S. taxation for both public and private U.S. and non-U.S. corporations and business entities relating to transactions, mergers and acquisitions, partnership taxation, real estate taxation and U.S. taxation for multinational corporations.
State and Local Taxation: We advise clients in connection with their state and local tax issues for businesses that transcend state lines as well as individual services that may transcend state lines.
International Taxation: Bullivant tax practitioners provide counsel to both public and private foreign and U.S. based clients on a variety of tax matters including cross-border issues, analysis and planning.
Corporate/Business Entity transactions, M&A: Our tax attorneys advise both public and private U.S. and non-U.S. corporations and business entities on many tax issues including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and public and private offerings of debt and equity securities. We represent a variety of businesses in the middle market including technology, "green energy," real estate, natural resources including mining and oil and gas, financial institutions, travel services, and professional services to name a few.
Formation/Reorganization/Dissolution: We represent both private and public companies and assist in determining the most advantageous tax structures, reorganizations, workouts and forms of dissolutions. We assist in connection with M&As as well as purchases and sales of equity or assets. We provide applicable tax disclosure in connection with financings and issue tax opinions in connection with a variety of matters including public company tax opinions filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our attorneys assist owners in a variety of businesses and industries with respect to tax issues surrounding their joint ventures, partnerships and limited liability companies.
Executive Compensation/Equity Plans/Deferred Compensation: As a result of our representation of public companies, we are keenly aware of the legal and ethical issues facing companies and their executives in formulating appropriate executive compensation arrangements including awards of stock and stock options. We prepare and advise clients with respect to all forms of equity incentive plans including those providing for incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted and unrestricted stock awards, stock appreciation right, and stock units. We advise clients regarding the rules governing deferred compensation arrangements including the application of recent IRC Section 409A, and prepare a variety of incentive and deferred compensation plans including supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) including "top hat" plans for selected management and highly-compensated employees.
ERISA/ESOPs: Our tax attorneys provide full representation in ERISA matters. We provide pension representation (collective bargained plans, defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans and money purchase plans, 401(k) plans, QDROs, and DOL and IRS audits); welfare benefit plan representation (individual or wrap welfare benefit plans, Summary Plan Descriptions, COBRA, HIPAA); ESOPs (advice regarding feasibility studies, preparation of plan, trust and disclosure documents); ERISA litigation (representation of companies, shareholders, plans, fiduciaries and trustees, and defense of plan, fiduciaries and trustees).
Tax-exempt organizations: We provide counsel to a variety of tax-exempt organizations, including charities, foundations, educational groups, scientific research organizations, social welfare organizations, and industry associations. Bullivant tax attorneys assist in obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, and representation before the IRS in audits and tax controversy work.
Estate Planning/Trusts/Probates: We provide sophisticated estate and tax planning to high-net worth individuals, including complex trust planning. We advise on family limited partnerships and limited liability companies. Our attorneys provide advice and representation in connection with trust administration and probate including in the event of a dispute, resulting in probate litigation.