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Practice/Industry Groups:
Business Law
Intellectual Property
Green Strategies
NonProfit Organizations

Jim Rutledge is a partner with Bricker & Eckler LLP and a member of the business law group. He focuses on solving problems of business owners and their businesses, with a broad business law and tax practice. He advises private companies and their owners in sales, acquisitions and other transactions having income tax, estate tax and gift tax consequences. He is experienced in business planning, partnership and limited liability company law and taxation, business organization and operations, business succession and exit planning for C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships; estate and wealth preservation planning; litigation management and dispute resolution; executive compensation, pension, profit sharing and employee stock ownership plans.

Representative Experience

• Closed tax free merger of family-owned manufacturing business for consideration in excess of $1 billion after having served as general counsel to the business and its majority owners for several years

• Counsels private businesses and their owners in various industries:

  • Alternative energies – solar, wind, and biomass
  • Manufacturing
  • High Tech
  • Distribution, Sales and Marketing
  • Professional Services
  • Medical devices

• Represents numerous companies utilizing Employee Stock Ownership Plans

• Former Chair of law firm's Federal Tax Department

Community and Professional Activities

• Member, Ohio Tech Angels

• Former Chair. Columbus Bar Association Business Tax Committee and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Committee

• Chair, Columbus Bar Association Pension Advisory Committee (1989-present)

• Member, American, Ohio State and Columbus Bar Associations

Awards and Recognitions

• Listed, Best Lawyers in America, (corporate law) 2009-2010

Publications and Presentations

• Lectured at numerous tax planning and business law programs including:

  • "Family Limited Partnerships vs. Family Limited Liability Companies" Ohio Wealth Preservation Conference

  • "Exit Strategies for Owners of Closely Held Businesses," Ohio Advanced Federal Tax Symposium

  • "Choice of Business Entity," Ohio Tax Planning Institute

  • "Use of ESOPs by the Closely Held Corporation," Columbus Tax Conference

  • "Business Succession Planning," Capital Law School Graduate Tax Program

Education

• University of Dayton (B.A., summa cum laude, 1974)

• The Ohio State University College of Law (J.D., 1977)