About Ed
Based in the Atlanta office, Ed is Vice-Chair of the firm’s Business section and a partner in the firm’s Corporate law practice group focusing on taxation and estate planning. He has over twenty-four years of experience in franchise law, mergers and acquisitions and personal planning, specifically with federal estate and gift taxation.
Ed’s corporate and tax law practice includes assisting clients who are involved in the formation and development of business ventures and representing both companies and individuals seeking venture capital financing. He represents venture capital companies and investors in funding early-stage and start-up companies and also represents both buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of businesses, through tax-free mergers, stock purchase arrangements, and asset acquisitions. Ed regularly works with real estate developers and investors in developing effective structures for the acquisition, development and ultimate disposition of property. His experience also includes representing public and private companies in connection with access to capital securities and markets.
Ed provides specific tax representation with respect to the structure of partnerships, limited liability companies and similar pass through entities, as well as corporate issues related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and tax-free reorganizations. In addition, he assists both public and private companies in development of effective compensation and long-term benefit plans.
Ed’s personal planning experience includes working with individuals or families in the development of effective wealth transfer planning, including providing business and tax advice to family-owned businesses on topics such as Wills, Family Limited Partnerships, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, Living Trusts and Charitable Trusts. He also assists clients with the formation of both public and private charitable foundations and tax controversies before the Internal Revenue Service, including the United States Tax Court.
Ed is licensed to practice in Georgia and Illinois, Georgia Superior Courts, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Tax Court. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and the State Bar of Georgia.
In addition, Ed has spoken before a variety of business and accounting groups, has written on business and tax law issues, and has appeared as a guest analyst on CNBC. Ed serves on the Board of Directors and as President of the Atlanta Junior Golf Foundation.
Ed received his LL.M. in Taxation in 1984 from Emory University. He earned his J.D. in 1980 from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1977.