Hilton S Bell

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Tax & Estates

Attorneys in this group counsel in federal, state, local, and international taxation, non-profit status and other tax exemptions, executive compensation, employment, qualified plans, employee benefits, and ERISA. Practice group members have extensive experience with state income, sales and use, franchise, ad valorem, occupational license and severance tax matters and regularly counsel clients on entity selection. Individuals and families are counseled regarding estate planning, trust, probate and succession matters, with particular experience in advising owners of closely-held family businesses. The Firm has represented clients in the full ambit of state tax litigation. Many of these cases have resulted in landmark decisions in favor of the taxpayers. Lawyers in this practice group also represent businesses and individuals in the federal courts (including the Tax Court, Court of Claims and the Court of International Trade) in cases involving a wide range of federal tax issues, and international taxation issues.

Hilton S Bell
Milling Benson Woodward LLP
909 Poydras St #2300
New Orleans LA 70112
Tel: 504 569-7000
Fax: 504 569-7001
E-mail: hbell@millinglaw.com

Accredited Estate Planner - National Association of Estate Planners & Councils

Practice Areas
- Tax, Trusts and Estates

Taxation

Corporate - advice on stock and asset reorganizations, divisive reorganizations, formation and liquidation of corporations, reallocation of income, personal holding company taxes, constructive dividends, accumulated earning taxes, S corporation status.

Partnerships - allocation of income, deductions, tax credits, formation, operating distributions, liquidations, opinions on tax status of partnerships.

Exempt Organizations - tax issues relating to exempt status of charitable organizations, related exempt foundations, (including reorganization of tax exempt organizations); private inurement issues; charitable annuity and unitrusts, pooled income funds, advice on charitable giving.

Foreign Taxation - advice to foreign investors on tax consequences of investment in the U.S.; application of U.S. and foreign tax treaties; application of subpart F to controlled foreign corporations; outbound transfers to foreign affiliates; intercompany pricing; U.S. withholding on outbound transfers; foreign tax credits.

State and Local Taxation - advice and litigation relating to state and local income, franchise and sales and use taxes, gross receipts taxes, ad valorem taxes.

Audit and Litigation - representation before the IRS, Louisiana Department of Revenue and tax litigation in Federal and state courts.

Estate Planning

All aspects of Federal and Louisiana estate and gift tax planning, including preparation of wills and trusts; valuation discounts; probate proceedings, estate and gift tax audits and litigation in Federal and state courts.

Employee Benefits

Design and implementation of qualified plans (pension, profit sharing, target, thrift, ESOP and 401(k), including IRS, DOL and PBGC compliance), deferred and key executive compensation arrangements (excess benefit plans, executive compensation plans, qualified and non-qualified stock options, restrictive property transfers, rabbi, secular trusts, golden parachute payments, split dollar insurance) and welfare plans (self insured and group life, health and disability), tax exempt organizations, professional corporations and partnerships and ERlSA litigation (defense of claims asserted against insured and self-insured health and disability plans, qualified plans, breach of fiduciary duty, prohibited transactions, and pre-emption of state laws).