Richard Johnson is a partner at Waller Lansden. His practice focuses on three areas: advising closely held companies; assisting high net worth individuals with tax, estate and gift planning; and providing counsel to
tax-exempt organizations.
Mr. Johnson represents large, closely held companies in a broad range of industries. In addition to advising these companies on business law and operational matters, Mr. Johnson integrates ongoing corporate objectives with the long-range goals of company owners and family ownership groups. Mr. Johnson was a member of the Tennessee Bar Association committee that drafted legislation for the Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act enacted in 2005. Mr. Johnson combines his vast experience with S corporations, LLCs and partnership law with strategic tax planning to minimize corporate and personal tax liabilities on both the state and federal levels. Mr. Johnson also counsels the owners of closely held businesses on business succession planning and entity restructuring to help ensure the smooth transition of ownership and operation from one generation to the next.
In addition to business owners and entrepreneurs, Mr. Johnson represents other high net worth individuals, including corporate officers and executives, investors and families with inherited assets. Mr. Johnson assists in ensuring the security and financial stability of individuals and their families by protecting and retaining wealth through strategic planning related to income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. He has utilized grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, family limited partnerships, life insurance trusts, family dynasty trusts, charitable split interest trusts and private foundations to develop comprehensive asset transfer strategies that not only minimize tax liabilities but fulfill family and charitable objectives. Mr. Johnson’s private wealth experience also includes the creation and implementation of family offices and private trust companies. Within this context, Mr. Johnson provides counsel on the effective use of personal and charitable gifts, life insurance, employee death benefits, stock options and other types of asset ownership to minimize the burden of estate taxes.
Mr. Johnson advises large tax-exempt foundations and public charities on formation and operation matters, including issues related to maintaining
tax-exempt status. In April 2005 he provided testimony to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee with regard to possible new regulations and reforms aimed at curbing abuses in the management of not-for-profit organizations. His testimony was based on his experience representing the State of Tennessee in its efforts to return the $100 million Maddox Foundation to Tennessee after its controversial move to Mississippi.
Mr. Johnson is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® (Woodward White, Inc.) for his work in tax and trusts and estates law. He is the co-author of The Tennessee Chapter, ABA Property Tax Handbook and was formerly the Tennessee state editor for the Journal of Multi-State Taxation.
Education
J.D., with honors, University of Tennessee, 1986
LL.M., Taxation, University of Florida, 1987
B.A., cum laude, Accounting, University of Mississippi, 1983
Professional Activities
Member, Nashville, Tennessee, Florida and American Bar Associations
Tax Advisor to the Tennessee Bar Association
Fellow, American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel
Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation
Director, Nashville Estate Planning Council
Member, Tax Section of the American Bar Association
Member, Probate Trust and Real Property Section of the American Bar Association
Co-author, Tennessee Chapter, ABA Sales & Use Handbook
Former Chairman, Tax Section of the Tennessee Bar Association
Former Chairman, Estate Planning Committee of the Nashville Bar Association
Former Chairman, Committee of the Tax Section of the Nashville Bar Association
