Experienced tax attorney, James J. Wotruba, recently joined the St. Louis office of Polsinelli Shughart as a shareholder. In this role, Wotruba will be an integral member of the firm’s national tax practice which provides creative solutions and legal guidance on international, federal, and state and local tax laws to business entities in all major industries and tax status classifications.
“The experience and knowledge within the area of tax law that Jim brings to our St. Louis office will be a tremendous resource for our clients,” said Randy Gerber, St. Louis regional managing director. “As a member of our nationwide tax practice, he will provide counsel in of all areas of taxation, as well as grow our office’s service capabilities for the benefit of our entire client roster.”
Wotruba has more than 25 years of experience in general income tax law with an emphasis on transactional tax, particularly in areas of partnership, limited liability company and S corporation taxation. He has advised clients concerning the formation, classification and operation of foreign and domestic limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures for United States federal income tax purposes, as well as foreign and domestic taxation of property in connection with transfer, lease and licensing arrangements.
The St. Louis office of Polsinelli Shughart has experienced a tremendous expansion during the past year. The number of attorneys in the office grew by 30 in the last year to 115 which includes experienced lawyers in key industry groups such as health care, labor and employment, financial services, life sciences, and real estate.
Attorneys in the St. Louis office are committed to the vitality, economic development and sustainability of St. Louis’s business and legal communities. The firm’s St. Louis attorneys are involved with and serve in leadership roles in a variety of civic organizations including the Regional Business Council, St. Louis Regional Chamber, Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, and Missouri Growth Association, among others.
“I am excited to be a part of Polsinelli’s St. Louis office and the firm’s dynamic team of tax professionals,” Wotruba said. “Polsinelli’s tremendous client-service culture, coupled with its deep capabilities in all areas of taxation, create the precise combination of business growth and client-focused opportunities I am seeking at this point in my career.”
Throughout Wotruba’s career, he has represented buyers and sellers in connection with tax deferred like kind exchange transactions and has represented developers and investors in transactions involving federal low-income housing and historic rehabilitation tax credits, as well as transactions involving state historic and low-income housing tax credits.
Wotruba received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin in 1984. He graduated from the Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa in 1987 and was subsequently admitted to the Missouri Bar. He is also a member of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. In his spare time, Wotruba is a skilled woodworker whose handcrafted creations range from children’s toys to fine furniture.
