REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE Bill’s experience includes:
- Obtaining the first tax ruling to permit exempt organizations to invest in timberland without incurring tax on unrelated business taxable income.
- Obtaining the first tax ruling to permit holding of timberlands in a real estate investment trust (REIT).
- Representing a taxpayer in a favorable U.S. Tax Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding flexibility in establishing timber depletion blocks.
- Representing a taxpayer in a favorable U.S. District Court decision regarding long-term timber-cutting contracts.
- Representing Hospital Corporation of America in a favorable U.S. Tax Court decision regarding an insurance captive.
- Representing Procter & Gamble in a favorable U.S. District Court litigation regarding the creditability of Saudi Arabian income taxes.
- Representing purchasers in major timberland transactions including the acquisition of International Paper’s “western woodlands” in 1995, the Boise Cascade properties in 2005 and the bulk of International Paper’s forestlands in 2006.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Guide to Leading Business Lawyers in the area of tax (2003–2005)
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of litigation & controversy – tax (2012), tax law (1995-2011) and timber law (1995-2011)
- Selected for inclusion in Georgia Super Lawyers® (2004–2006)
- Selected for inclusion in New York Super Lawyers® (2010)
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Former Vice Chair, Forest Resources Committee, American Bar Association
- Member, Atlanta Bar Association
- Member, New York City Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors, New York Center for Children
- Member, Board of Directors, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Member, Board of Directors, World Forestry Center
- Member, Board of Directors, Forest Guild
- Former Member, Board of Visitors of Emory University and the Duke University School of Environment
RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Speaker, "Timberland Drivers - Taxes, Lending and Policy," Who Will Own the Forest? Conference Series (September 20-22, 2010)
- Panelist, "What's Next?" Who Will Own the Forrest? Summit 2009 (September 14-16, 2009)
- Speaker, “The Timberland Asset: Stable Investment for Turbulent Times,” Lake Oconee, Georgia (March 2009)
- Speaker, International Forest Investment Executive Education Conference, London (November 2008)
- Co-presenter, “Financial and Regulatory Developments,” Who Will Own the Forest?, Portland, Oregon (September 2008)
- Speaker, International Forest Investment: An Executive Education Conference, Munich (February 2008)
- Speaker, “How Tax Laws in the U.S. Affect Timberland Investments,” Who Will Own the Forest? Global Series, Portland, Oregon (September 2007)
- Speaker, Timberland Investment Conference II, New York (May 2007)
- Speaker, Forest Landowners Conference, Charleston, South Carolina (May 2007)
- Speaker, Timberland Investing World Summit, Lake Oconee, Georgia (November 2006)
- Speaker, Timberland Investing, Barcelona (April 2006)
- Speaker, “Capital Market Transactions Involving Real Estate Investment Trusts,” presentation to Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., New York (January 2005)