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John Burgess, CPA,Esq.,LLM (TAX)

Partner

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Tampa, FL


John brings a depth of experience to his law practice. Focused on employee benefit plans, he is a certified public accountant with an extensive tax and accounting background, which includes experience as an auditor with a large accounting firm. Clients draw on John’s ability to take a 360 degree view of their benefit plans and how they affect other areas of their business. His significant experience includes:

 

  • Tax-qualified pension plans
  • Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
  • Health and welfare plans
  • Executive compensation arrangements

 

He routinely counsels clients on plan documentation (drafting plan documents, SPDs, amendments, and plan administrative procedures), plan qualification, and other benefit plan issues, including tax and fiduciary matters. John regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) in benefits matters. In addition, clients draw on his wide-ranging experience in benefits issues in the context of business mergers and acquisitions, including assistance with due diligence on benefit plans sponsored by an acquired company.

 

Currently, John devotes a significant portion of his practice to ESOPs, advising clients on matters such as plan design, distribution policies, the structure and implementation of ESOP transactions, and administration matters. Active within the ESOP community, he frequently presents on ESOP issues at national and regional conferences.

 

Practicing for more than 15 years, John is also well-versed in individual, corporate, partnership, and estate and gift taxation issues at both the federal and state levels. He uses such knowledge to assist clients in tax planning and compliance issues, including matters for international employees and non-profit organizations.

 

Clients value John’s significant experience assisting in the correction of errors in both qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, including representing clients in Voluntary Compliance Program applications before the IRS. He regularly assists clients with executive employment agreements, severance agreements, change in control agreements and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, including compliance with Internal Revenue Code Sections 409A, 457(b) and 457(f).