Burr & Forman Expands Business Succession Planning Practice With Partner James M. McCarten in Nashville Office

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Burr & Forman LLP announces that James "Jim" M. McCarten, a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, has joined the firm as a partner in the Nashville office.  McCarten brings more than 27 years of experience as a tax attorney, with particular focus on business succession planning and trusts and estates.  

"We have seen a growing need among our clients across the country for business succession counsel," said Nashville office Managing Partner, Tom Potter.  "We are thrilled to bring on someone of Jim's caliber to help us expand that area of our tax practice and further enhance our services to our clients."

"I am honored to be a part of such a talented and accomplished legal team.  Burr & Forman's commitment to excellence and continued success is being noted across the Southeast.  I look forward to contributing to the firm's ongoing achievements," said McCarten.

James "Jim" M. McCarten has a broad range of tax experience, including representing clients during audits by the IRS and/or Tennessee Department of Revenue; crafting tax structures for new businesses; counseling clients on the tax aspects of business exit strategies and business succession issues; designing tax-effective executive compensation packages; creating appropriate estate plans; and counseling families on special needs planning.

McCarten began his professional tax career with the "Big 8" public accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. Following law school, he litigated tax cases for the federal government as a member of the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1994, McCarten was a founding member of one of East Tennessee's largest and most respected law firms.

McCarten is admitted to practice law in Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri.  He has been named to The Best Lawyers for America since 2003 in the areas of Estates and Trusts, Nonprofit/Charity Law, and Tax Law and named by Mid-South Super Lawyers Magazine to each of its Tennessee lists. McCarten has served as the Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Tax Section, as a Trustee of the Paul J. Hartman State & Local Tax Forum, as a Trustee of the Tennessee Federal Tax Institute, and as a Trustee of the Advanced Institute on Corporate Taxation.

McCarten was honored for his work in special needs planning when inducted into the Special Needs Alliance. He is also the author of a professional treatise and numerous tax-related articles as well as a frequent speaker at tax programs for CPAs and attorneys throughout the Southeast.

About Burr & Forman LLP

For over a century, Burr & Forman LLP's experienced legal team has served clients with local, national, and international interests in numerous industry and practice areas, ranging from commercial litigation and class actions to corporate transactions, including bankruptcy and restructurings.  A Southeast regional firm with nearly 250 attorneys and offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Burr & Forman attorneys draw from a diverse range of resources to help clients achieve their goals and address their complex legal needs.  For more information, visit the firm's website at www.burr.com.

SOURCE Burr & Forman LLP