William M. Joseph (Bill)
Bill Joseph is a member of the firm’s Business and Finance Practice Group. Bill focuses his practice on transactional tax matters, counseling clients on domestic and international corporate mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and joint ventures. He also regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of revenue. Industries in which Bill has represented clients include airlines, telecommunications, food manufacturers, insurance, banking and financial services, health care, technology, commercial and residential real estate development and venture capital.
7th Annual Accounting Risk Management Seminar
presented by Stites & Harbison's Accounting Defense Team, Atlanta, GA, October 26, 2022
U.S. Income Taxation and Withholding on Sales of Partnership Interests by Non-U.S. Partners
Atlanta International Tax Study Group Virtual Meeting, February 23, 2021
FourBridges Completes Acquisition Of Color Burst Landscapes
by Staff Writer, The Chattanoogan.com, December 17, 2020
Ex-Schulten Ward Tax Partner Joins Stites & Harbison
by Derek Major, Law 360.com, April 25, 2019
Proposed Border Adjustment Tax
Atlanta International Tax Study Group, April 2017
Taxation of Dividend Equivalent Payments under IRC Sec. 871(m) and New Proposed Regulations
Atlanta International Tax Study Group, 2014
An Overview of Proposed FATCA (Chapter 4) Regulations
Atlanta International Tax Study Group, 2012
Law Firm Partnership Agreements
Atlanta Bar Association Managing Partner Committee, 2012
Tax Issues in Acquisitions of Distressed Debt
Client Lunch & Learn, January 2012
Foreign Investment in U.S. Real Property Through Real Estate Investment Trusts
Atlanta International Tax Study Group, 2008
Acquisitions of Troubled Companies
Joint Program with Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, 2002
Mergers & Acquisitions for Middle Market
Fulcrum Information Services Business & Tax Seminar, 2002
Valuation
Fulcrum Information Services Business & Tax Seminar, 2001
Obtained a revenue ruling from the IRS designating a U.K. commodities exchange as a "qualified board or exchange" under IRC Sec. 1256(g)(7)(C), the first such ruling issued in more than 20 years.
Represented U.K. group in investments in insurance businesses in the U.S.
Responsible for tax planning, tax disclosure and tax opinions in connection with the sale of a credit card processing company to a major bank for $2.1 billion.
Responsible for tax issues, negotiation and documentation of the sale of a privately held food products company to a Dutch public company for more than $300 million.
Provided tax counsel to a paper manufacturing company in connection with its tax-free spinoff from a large consumer products company.
Drafted partnership agreements and tax disclosures for a $175 million private equity fund investing in medical device businesses.
Structured a $300 million real estate joint venture between U.S. persons and Canadian pension funds.
Provided tax guidance in connection with a 300 MW solar power facility in New Mexico.
Was principally responsible for analyzing and obtaining Georgia tax incentives for a large consumer foods company opening new facilities in the state and prepared a management presentation to its Chief Executive Officer.
Worked on all aspects of the sale of a for-profit nursing home group to a 501(c)(3) organization and obtained a ruling from the IRS on novel issues in connection with the use of tax-exempt financing in the transaction.
cum laude
Boston University School of Law
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Boston University International Law Journal, Staff Editor
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Edward F. Hennessey Distinguished Scholar
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G. Joseph Tauro Scholar
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American Jurisprudence Award for Corporations
Boston University School of Law
cum laude
Concentrations in Accounting and Political Science
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
Bill lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia with his wife, Helene and their Shetland Sheepdog, Cooper. Although Bill is a New York native and started his legal practice with a large firm in Boston, Massachusetts, Bill is an avid Atlanta sports fan, having raised his family in Atlanta. Since moving to Atlanta, Bill has been an active University of Pennsylvania alumnus, interviewing high school students applying to Penn. For many years, Bill spent most of his free time following his three sons’ exploits in baseball from youth baseball to college. Now that their baseball careers are over, he is looking for new hobbies (tennis and hiking being current contenders).
Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
Best Lawyers in America®, Tax Law (2021-25)
Georgia Trend Magazine Legal Elite (2012, 2014, 2016-21)
Georgia Super Lawyers® (2019-22)
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2025 Best Lawyers® Publications
Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 97 of its lawyers are included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence according to the publication. Additionally, 12 Stites & Harbison attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 30 attorneys are recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
The Corporate Transparency Act: Is Your Business Prepared For Sweeping New Federal Reporting Requirements?
On January 1, 2021, with bipartisan support, Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (“NDAA”) when it overrode former President Trump’s veto of the NDAA. As part of an effort to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and other illicit activities, the CTA requires business entities formed or registered in the United States that fall within the definition of a “reporting company” to disclose beneficial ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) of the Department of Treasury. While the purpose of the legislation may be commendable, it casts an extremely wide net and imposes new compliance burdens on businesses beginning in 2024.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 101 of its lawyers are included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
7th Annual Accounting Risk Management Seminar
Time: 11:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
City Springs Conference Center, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328
Stites & Harbison's Accounting Defense Team will present this Accounting Risk seminar on October 26th at the City Springs Conference Center in Atlanta.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2023 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 98 of its lawyers are included in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Additionally, 11 Stites & Harbison attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 19 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
Stites & Harbison Attorneys Honored by 2022 Georgia Super Lawyers
ATLANTA—The 2022 edition of Georgia Super Lawyers recently honored four Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys based in the firm’s Atlanta office. Of special note, Joe Kingma was named to the Top 100 Georgia Lawyers list for the fifth time.
Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite 2021 Honors Bill Joseph
ATLANTA—Georgia Trend magazine has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney William M. (Bill) Joseph as one of its 2021 Legal Elite in the category of Taxes, Estates & Trusts. This is the eighth time Joseph has earned the Legal Elite honor.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Additionally, 11 attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 14 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.