Mr. Bell provides legal advice to businesses, individuals, trusts, profit and non-profits, on tax laws and legal entities.  

Corporations • Limited Liability Companies • Partnerships

Mr. Bell advises corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships with legal advice on stock and asset reorganizations, divisive reorganizations, formation and liquidation of corporations, reallocation of income, constructive dividends, accumulated earning taxes, S corporation status, deduction for reasonable compensation, employment taxes, operating agreements, liquidations, deductions and tax credits.

Tax • Foreign, State and Local • Income, Sales and Use, and Credits

His work includes work regarding foreign taxation and foreign investors on tax consequences of investment in the the United States and the application of foreign tax treaties and subpart F to controlled foreign corporations, outbound transfers to foreign affiliates,  inter-company pricing and United States withholding on outbound transfers and foreign tax credits.

Regarding tax-exempt organizations, Mr. Bell works on tax issues relating to the exempt status of charitable organizations, related exempt foundations (including reorganization of tax-exempt organizations), private inurement issues, charitable annuities and uni-trusts, pooled income funds, and advice on charitable giving.

In addition to foreign taxation, Mr. Bell provides legal advice on Louisiana, and  local taxation (parish, city and special districts) relating to income, ad valorem, franchise, sales and use taxes and gross receipt taxes.  In both audit and litigation, Bell provides  representation before the Internal Revenue Service, the Louisiana Department of Revenue and tax litigation in Federal and state courts. 

Estate Planning

Bells handles matters in 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

Bell works to advise clients on the design, legal structure and implementation of qualified plans (pension, profit sharing, target, thrift, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and 401(k) plans, including the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (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 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation (defense of claims asserted against insured and self-insured health and disability plans, qualified plans, breach of fiduciary duty, prohibited transactions, and preemption of state laws).