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Robert L. Wollfarth

Shareholder
Houston
T: 713.210.7446
F: 713.650.9701
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Rob Wollfarth represents large and small clients across the country and in numerous different industries on a wide variety of legal matters.

Professional Biography

Mr. Wollfarth is a trusted advisor for his clients, serving their legal needs throughout the lifecycles of their businesses. In his role as outside general counsel, he assembles teams of lawyers from around the Firm to fulfill client needs in a multitude of legal practice areas. His own personal experience is in handling business and corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions, sales, business combinations, contractual relationships, financing projects and operations, restructuring, buy-outs, dissolution, federal, state and local tax planning, controversy, and incentives. This experience crosses numerous industries including energy, gaming, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, technology and transportation.

Mr. Wollfarth prides himself on providing his clients with creative solutions rather than just patented answers to their legal questions. His focus remains on helping clients achieve their goals, rather than merely a legal result, and doing so in a cost-effective manner.

He currently serves as the State and Local Tax (SALT) practice area coordinator for the Firm's Tax Group, in addition to serving on the executive committee for the Firm's Manufacturing Initiative.

Mr. Wollfarth is recognized in Chamber USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers in the areas of Corporate/M&A and Tax.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Represented a client in the tax-free merger of a $150 million palliative care business.

  • Represented a client in the $90 million stock purchase of a health insurance agency.

  • Represented the seller in the $12 million sale of an assisted and independent living facility.

  • Represented a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in its $5 million sale.

  • Represented a client in its $100 million acquisition of ship-building assets out of a bankruptcy proceeding.

  • Business Formations

  • Successfully structured and implemented the tax-free conversion from S corporation tax status to partnership tax status of six affiliated limited liability companies engaged in a home health business worth over $100 million.

  • Minimized a foreign corporation's tax and other liabilities by structuring its U.S. ownership of $1.5 billion in oil and gas assets. 

  • Successfully negotiated an LLC operating agreement between a privately-held Louisiana company and a publicly-traded, non-Louisiana partnership in connection with their formation of a marine towing business consisting of $70 million of assets.

  • Guided a non-Louisiana oil and gas drilling company through a maze of licensing and tax filing requirements necessary to conduct business in the state.

  • Assisted numerous tax-exempt organizations, including one of the first charter school associations formed in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, with forming legal entities to engage in tax-exempt activities and preparing and filing federal tax exemption applications.

  • Financing Transactions

  • Acted as bank counsel in connection with large lending transactions.

  • Represented film studio clients in connection with film finance transactions.

  • Assisted clients with obtaining equity financing through private placement transactions.

  • Contractual Relationships

  • Helped a municipality stimulate economic growth by preparing and successfully negotiating on its behalf an agreement with a foreign airline providing for the only direct flight between the municipality and a foreign business destination.

  • Assisted numerous clients with preparing and negotiating agreements including employment, independent contractor, settlement, indemnity, confidentiality, brokering, option and other kinds of agreements.

  • Tax and Economic Incentives

  • Represented a Fortune 100 film and television production company in connection with earning and selling tens of millions of dollars of state Motion Picture Investor Tax Credits.

  • Represented clients in connection with the development of multi-million dollar real estate projects utilizing federal and state New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits and other incentives.

  • Advised both for profit and non-profit clients in connection with earning and obtaining the benefit of federal, state, and local tax and economic incentives including, but not limited to, Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, PILOTs, TIFs, and Opportunity Zone Program benefits.

  • State and Local Tax Issues

  • Negotiated and closed the sales and acquisitions of businesses in a wide variety of industries across the country including long term care businesses ranging in deal size from $5 million to more than $100 million.

  • Advised both for profit and non-profit clients on methods for reducing or eliminating millions of dollars of federal, state, and local taxes in all phases of their organization and operation.

  • Convinced local tax authorities to assess a dirt company's customers for underpayment of sales tax, saving the client several hundred thousand dollars in sales tax liability.

  • Assisted a national insurance company in a Louisiana income tax audit.

  • Defended a large aircraft repair business in connection with a Louisiana sales and use tax audit.

  • Structured a pharmacy's drug sales to minimize Louisiana sales and use taxes.

  • Advised a barge leasing company on procedures for acquiring and leasing barges to minimize Louisiana lease taxes.

  • Advised a large national software technology development company on strategies to minimize Louisiana sales and use tax liability.

  • Assisted a large oil and gas pipeline company with settlement of Louisiana ad valorem tax litigation.

  • Prepared the necessary documentation to allow a national charitable organization to make grants to other charitable organizations and individuals.

  • AV®Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Tax Law (2021 – 2023)
  • Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers as a leading Louisiana lawyer in the areas of Corporate/M&A (2019, 2020) and Tax law (2019 – 2022)
  • Listed as a Louisiana Rising Star by Louisiana Super Lawyers (2012)
  • Recognized as a 2017 "Top Lawyer" in Commercial Transactions/LLS Law by New Orleans Magazine
  • Recognized as a 2015 "Top Lawyer" in Tax Law by New Orleans Magazine
  • Member – Leadership Jefferson Class of 2011
  • Member – Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Tax Committee
  • Member – Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association
  • Board Member – New Orleans Business Alliance (2013 – 2018)
  • Executive Committee – New Orleans Business Alliance
  • Board Member – New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) Board Integration Special Committee
  • Member – Creative Digital Media Subcommittee, New Orleans Business Alliance
  • Member – Baker Donelson Emerging Company Institute
  • Member – Baker Donelson Legal Opinion Committee
  • Member – Baker Donelson Economic Development Team
  • Fête Louisiane 2013 Event Committee Member – Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation
  • Advisory Board – New Orleans Film Society

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • "Business Succession Planning," CEO Roundtable #7 – Capital Region/New Orleans (March 4, 2021)
  • "Business Succession Planning," CEO Roundtable #7 – Capital Region/Baton Rouge (March 2, 2021)
  • "Understanding Your Corporate Structure," CEO Roundtable #6 – Capital Region/New Orleans (January 14, 2021)
  • "Understanding Your Corporate Structure," CEO Roundtable #6 – Capital Region/Baton Rouge (January 12, 2021)
  • "Business Succession Planning: Planning for Voluntary and Involuntary Changes in Your Business' Ownership," Association of Water Technologies Annual Convention, Palm Springs, California (September 2019)
  • "Selling Your Business: Tax, Business and Transactional Issues," Association of Water Technologies 2019 Annual Convention & Exposition, Palm Springs, California (September 2019)
  • Panelist – "Best Practices in Succession Planning," Association of Water Technologies Annual Convention, Palm Springs, California (September 2019)
  • "Turbulence Ahead: Opportunities and Implications for Your Business," Tampa, Florida (May 21, 2019)
  • "Turbulence Ahead: Opportunities and Implications for Your Business," Dallas, Texas (May 14, 2019)
  • "Business Succession Planning," Entrepreneur's Organization Louisiana Forum, New Orleans, Louisiana (January 2018)
  • Program Chair and Presenter – "Making the Right Choice of Entity for your Business," Tax and Estate Planning for Businesses Seminar, Louisiana Bar Association, New Orleans, Louisiana (October 2017)
  • "Negotiation of Representations and Warranties in the Purchase and Sale Agreement" (July 2016)
  • "Using Representations and Warranties in Mergers and Acquisitions," Professional Education Broadcast Network (April 2015)
  • "Business and Transactional Issues in Connection with Sales/Exchanges of Partnership/LLC Interests," Professional Education Broadcast Network (February 2015)
  • "Earnouts in Business and Real Estate Transactions," Professional Education Broadcast Network (December 2014)
  • Co-presenter – "Limitations on Closely Held Company Owners - Business Opportunities and Non-Competes," Professional Education Broadcast Network (May 2014)
  • "Selling Privately-Held Companies," Baker Donelson Special Event, Houston, Texas (April 2014)
  • "Business Succession Planning," Construction Financial Management Association, Southeast Louisiana chapter (March 2012)

  • Business Formations

  • Co-presenter – "How to Make Opportunity Zones Work for You," PowerMoves NOLA Workshop Series (June 2019)
  • "Impact of New Federal Tax Law on Choice of Business Entity," Windsor National Associates Spring Meeting (April 2018)
  • "Effect of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on Choice of Business Entity," CEO Roundtable #8, New Orleans, Louisiana (April 2018); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (April 2018)
  • "Making the Right Choice of Entity for your Business," Construction Financial Management Association, Southeast Louisiana, New Orleans Chapter (April 2017)

  • Tax and Economic Incentives

  • "Tax Minimizing Strategies for Small Businesses," CEO Roundtable #8, New Orleans, Louisiana (April 2019); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (April 2019)
  • "Choice of Entity and Other Tax Strategies for Privately-Held Businesses (Owner's Only)," AWT Business Resources Committee Webinar (March 2019)
  • "Running Your Business: Tax Strategies for Small Businesses," AWT Business Owners Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana (February 2019)
  • "Interplay of Property Values and Characterizations Between Income, Sales and Property Taxes," COST's 49th Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona (October 2018)
  • "The Distinction Between Movable and Immovable Property for Louisiana State and Local Tax Purposes in the Oil & Gas Industry," Louisiana Oil & Gas Association's 2018 Fall Meeting, Lafayette, Louisiana (September 2018)
  • "State Tax Administrative Dispute Procedures: Overview of Developments & Procedures in Louisiana," COST's Southeast Regional State Tax Seminar, Jacksonville, Florida (June 2018)
  • "COST's Southeast Regional State Tax Seminar" (June 2018)
  • "Abusive Interest and Penalty Provisions – What Can be Done to Avoid Them or Minimize Them," COST's 2018 Sales Tax Conference & Audit Session, New Orleans, Louisiana (February 2018)
  • Co-presenter – "Interplay of Property Values and Characterizations Between Income, Sales and Property Taxes," COST's 48th Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida (October 2017)
  • Moderator – "Taking Advantage of Louisiana Economic Development Incentives," 2017 Louisiana Life Sciences and Technology Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana (September 2017)
  • "The Gross Receipts Tax and Its Impact on Business," 2017 SEATA Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (July 2017)
  • "The Basics of 1031 Exchanges," Louisiana REALTORS® Continuing Education Seminar, Baton Rouge (September 2017), Lafayette, Louisiana (September 2017), Lake Charles, Louisiana (June 2017); Metairie, Louisiana (April 2017); Shreveport, Louisiana (April 2017)
  • Co-presenter – "The Distinction Between Movable and Immovable Property for Louisiana State and Local Tax Purposes Within the Oil and Gas Industry," 2017 Louisiana Multi-Parish Tax Committee (LMTC) Annual Conference (February 2017)
  • "The Basics of 1031 Exchanges," Louisiana REALTORS® 2016 Fall Convention, Bossier City, Louisiana (September 2016)
  • "Common Sales Tax Pitfalls for Contractors," CFMA Louisiana Joint Regional Conference (August 2016)
  • "Recent and Upcoming Changes to State Tax Law," Construction Financial Management Association, Southeast Louisiana, Baton Rouge Chapter (May 2016)
  • "Sales and Use Taxation of Construction Projects," Arkel Constructors, Inc. (May 2016)
  • "General Insights into Handling a State Tax Audit and Specific Guidance on Florida's Transactional Taxes," COST's Southeast Regional State Tax Seminar (March 2016)
  • Panelist – "Q&A Ask the Experts Panel," COST's Southeast Regional State Tax Seminar (March 2016)
  • Panelist – "Economic Development Roundtable with International Press," Greater New Orleans, Inc. (December 2015)
  • Presenter/Chair – "Business on the Bayou: Tax Incentives and Economic Development in Louisiana," Louisiana State Bar Association (May 2015)
  • "Tax Incentives for Emerging Companies," Northwestern State University School of Business Spring CLE (April 2015)
  • "Discussion of State Tax Appeals Procedures," COST's Southeast Regional Meeting (March 2015)
  • "Tax Incentives for Start-Ups," Southeastern Emerging Companies Boot Camp Series, New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (March 2014)
  • Co-presenter – "Planning to Avoid, Rather than to Pay, Louisiana Sales and Use Taxes," Construction Financial Management Association, Southeast Louisiana, New Orleans Chapter (March 2014)
  • Co-presenter – "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation," Tax Executives Institute, Inc., New Orleans Chapter (February 2014)
  • Co-presenter – "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation," Construction Financial Management Association, Southcentral Louisiana, Baton Rouge Chapter (January 2014)
  • Co-presenter – "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation," Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP (December 2013)
  • Panelist – "Building on the Foundation: A New Orleans Tech Future That Will Drive the Economy," New Orleans Tech Week, New Orleans, Louisiana (October 2013)
  • "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation Laws Applicable to Software Businesses," Louisiana Technology Park Lunch and Learn (February 2013)
  • "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation," Construction Financial Management Association, Southeast Louisiana, New Orleans Chapter (June 2012)
  • "Tax Incentives for Emerging Companies in Louisiana," Idea Village Boot Camp (March 2012)
  • "Navigating Louisiana Sales and Use Taxation," NACM-Louisiana Inc. Education (November 2011)
  • "Tax Incentives for Emerging Companies," Baker Donelson Emerging Company Boot Camp at Louisiana Technology Park (November 2011)
  • "Company Formation and Taxation," Baker Donelson Emerging Company Boot Camp at Idea Village (March 2011)

  • Film Production

  • Lecturer – "Hiring a Lawyer in Connection with your Film Production," University of New Orleans Entertainment Law Class (2011-2014)
  • Panelist – "Film Finance Forum," The Expo: Louisiana Actors & Film Industry Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (September 2013)
  • Co-presenter – "Indie Film Making and the Law," Sidewalk Film Festival (August 2013)
  • "Key Legal Issues Relating to Developing, Producing and Distributing a Motion Picture," part of University of New Orleans Film Festival 2013 (May 2013)
  • Panelist – "Film Finance Forum," The Expo: Louisiana Actors & Film Industry Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (September 2012)
  • Co-presenter – "What to Do When the Majors Don't Come Knocking," Fourth Annual IP and Entertainment Law Sidewalk CLE (August 2012)
  • "Key Legal Issues Relating to Developing, Producing and Distributing a Motion Picture," part of one-day seminar offered by New Orleans Video Access Center and Loyola University College of Law Sports and Entertainment Law Society (April 2012)

Practices

Industries

Education

  • New York University School of Law, J.D. and LL.M., Taxation, 1997
  • Tulane University, B.S., Mathematical Economics, 1994

Admissions

  • Texas, 2014
  • Louisiana, 1997

Robert is extremely knowledgeable, professional and responsive. He has become a trusted adviser to our company and we are confident in the guidance he provides.

From Chambers USA 2020

Featured Media

Baker Donelson Attorneys Earn Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® 2023 Listing
Press Release / August 18, 2022
79 Baker Donelson Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA 2022
Press Release / June 6, 2022
Baker Donelson Attorneys Earn Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022 Listing
Press Release / August 19, 2021

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