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Contact | Careers
Jackson Walker
Brian Dethrow

Brian Dethrow

Partner, Dallas
214.953.5794
bdethrow@jw.com
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Practice Experience Recognition & Accolades Publications & Speeches Community Involvement Client Results Attorney News Areas of Focus

Practice Areas

  • Tax
  • Trusts & Estates

Experience

  • Family Office
  • Family-Owned Business
  • International Taxation
  • Qualified Opportunity Zone Representation
  • Renewable Energy
  • Tax Controversy & Litigation
  • Transactional Tax Planning

Biography

Brian Dethrow focuses his practice on tax and business planning for the Family Office and complex corporate, partnership, family, and inter-generational transactions.

Brian has broad experience with innovative tax and business planning with a particular focus on closely held business and Family Offices. His clients have ranged from Fortune 500 to very large family-controlled businesses, as well as the families who own them. His clients include some of the largest and most sophisticated Family Offices in the country, as well as funds for real estate, qualified opportunity zones, private equity and hedge funds. He counsels on international tax, especially for very wealthy cross-border families, and estate, charitable and business succession for all the above.

Education

B.A., with high honors, University of Texas at Austin

  • Plan II Honors Program
  • Phi Beta Kappa

J.D., Harvard Law School

Bar Admissions

Texas

Areas of Focus Practice Experience Recognition & Accolades Publications & Speeches Community Involvement Client Results Attorney News

Clients who count on Brian for their transactional and tax planning include some of the largest private enterprises in the country. Brian also represents many of the wealthiest individuals in the country – and their Family Offices — on tax planning; succession planning; charitable giving, through the use of private foundations and public charities. Clients regularly seek Brian’s advice and help to:

  • Create innovative Family Office structures for maximizing investment expense deductibility and generational transfer of wealth and control
  • Develop an innovative qualified opportunity zone (QOZ) practice as a first adopter counsel
  • Extensive work in renewable energy / tax credit space (wind, solar, carbon sequestration (43, 45Q))
  • Frontier development of double- and triple-qualifying tax-motivated funds—QOZ, carbon sequestration/45Q, and 1202/Qualified Small Business Stock
  • Multi-billion dollar combinations/dispositions of family-owned businesses
  • Offshore tax restructuring of billion-dollar medical technology company, patent box, licensing arrangements
  • Create numerous private equity fund structures, tax planning for their founders, tax planning for acquisitions/dispositions of their portfolio companies
  • Develop complex offshore structure for largest equipment distributor in the U.S.
  • Multi-jurisdiction Family Office work for international tax driven changes to tax jurisdictions
  • Develop U.S. tax credit investment program for private multi-billion dollar international bank client and Fortune 500 company
  • Develop U.S. tax credit investment program for private multi-billion dollar international bank client and Fortune 500 company
  • Extensive tax credit work, both in the renewables and the oil and gas space (e.g., carbon sequestration)
  • Income and estate/gift tax planning for multi-billion dollar private companies and their owners
  • Income tax planning for Family Office tax reduction, qualified opportunity zone gain rollover
  • Create and structure funds used in real estate and private equity space
  • Business and succession planning, transfer of wealth and control
  • Tax controversy work for large privately held business and their families
  • Charitable giving, through the use of private foundations and public charities
  • Complete restructuring of multi-billion dollar family holdings in line with succession, asset and matrimonial protection and wealth generation for G4
  • Develop Multi-Family Office investment structure used in deals involving billions of value, in many industries, onshore and offshore
  • Facilitate the tax-free transfer of billions of value in private companies among generations of family owners
  • Create tax-advantaged generational transfer of intellectual property for $500 million family
  • Develop Mexican / US cross-border entry point for billionaire foreign nationals in their estate planning
  • Complete restructuring of large multi-generation Family Office and its oil, real estate, and equities holdings
  • The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Tax Law, 2011-2023
  • “Best Lawyers in Dallas” List, D Magazine, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014-2016, 2018-2022
  • Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2011-2012, 2020-2022
  • Rated AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell

Publications

  • Co-Author, “Tax Benefits of Investing in QOFs: A New Tax Shelter Approved by Congress!” (February 2019)
  • Co-Author, “Treasury Releases Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Guidance” (October 25, 2018)
  • Author, “Qualified Opportunity Zones” (July 2018)

Speaking Engagements

  • “ACPEN Signature: 2020 Real Estate Taxation after Tax Reform,” The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network (ACPEN) (June 2020)
  • “QOZ Update—COVID Disaster Declarations Make QOZ Even More Taxpayer Friendly,” American Academy of Attorney-CPAs (May 5, 2020)
  • “Qualified Opportunity Zones: The “Dirt” on Tax-Driven Real Estate Development,” UT Law’s 23rd Annual Land Use Conference (April 2019)

In the News

  • “Multifamily project with QOZ bend headed to The Cedars,” Dallas Business Journal (February 16, 2022)
  • “Remember the Trump tax cut? Here’s how it might benefit low-income areas in Dallas,” Dallas News (September 20, 2018)
  • “Q&A With Jackson Walker’s Brian Dethrow,” Law360 (December 10, 2013)

Professional

  • American Bar Association
  • Texas Bar Association
  • Dallas Bar Association

Civic and Philanthropic

  • Texas Federal Tax Institute, Board
  • Harvard Club of Dallas – VP Schools, Co-Chair, Schools Committee
  • UT Southwestern, Presidents Research Council
  • Dallas Foundation, Advisory Council
  • Southwestern Medical Foundation, Advisory Board
Jackson Walker Advises Whataburger in Sale of Majority Interest to BDT Capital Partners

June 14, 2019

Jackson Walker Represents Bridger Logistics in Successful Divestiture of Saltwater Disposal, Crude Oil Truck Transportation, and Logistics Businesses

August 14, 2018

Jackson Walker Represents J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. in Closing Private Offering of $350 Million of Senior Notes

April 30, 2018

Jackson Walker Represents Dedienne Multiplasturgy Group in Acquisition of Met Plastics, Inc.

May 9, 2016

More Client Results

September 21, 2022

Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 64 “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2022

Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.

August 18, 2022

Attorney News

‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”

The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.

Jackson Walker - D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas 2022

April 25, 2022

Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates 21 Attorneys Named Among 2022 “Best Lawyers in Dallas” List

Jackson Walker congratulates the 21 attorneys recognized among D Magazine’s list of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for 2022. For recognition in the list, Dallas attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer unmatched counsel in one of 40 categories.

Dallas

February 16, 2022

Mentions

Multifamily Project With QOZ Bend Headed to The Cedars | Dallas Business Journal (Subscription Required)

Real estate may have jumped into qualified opportunity zones first, which is how many people gained familiarity with the space, but the adoption has been much broader than that, Brian Dethrow stated in an interview with the Dallas Business Journal.  “The QOZ space is a remarkable play. If you drive around Dallas, you can see instances where it has completely changed the landscape,” he noted.

September 22, 2021

Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 57 “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2021

Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.

August 19, 2021

Attorney News

‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 178 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2022 Edition, Including 8 “Lawyers of the Year” and 31 “Ones to Watch”

The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 178 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 67 specialty practice areas in its 2022 edition, including 8 Lawyers of the Year and 31 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.

Treasury Department building with Jackson Walker logo

May 20, 2021

Insights

Beware September 10th Deadline for Certain “Qualified Opportunity Fund” Investments

By Argyrios Saccopoulos & Brian Dethrow

The upcoming deadline to make a “capital gain rollover” investment into a “qualified opportunity fund” with respect to certain 2020 pass-through gains is September 10, 2021.

D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas 2021 (May 2021)

April 28, 2021

Attorney News

‘D Magazine’ Names 23 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for 2021

Jackson Walker congratulates the 23 attorneys recognized among D Magazine’s list of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for 2021.

Treasury Department building with Jackson Walker logo

January 25, 2021

Insights

Qualified Opportunity Zones COVID-19 Relief Extended

On January 20, the Treasury Department published Notice 2021-10, extending COVID-19 relief for qualified opportunity funds (QOFs) and their investors.

Treasury Department building with Jackson Walker logo

January 12, 2021

Insights

Tax Planning for a Biden Presidency

In this article, we outline selected tax law changes that President Joe Biden has proposed, both in speaking engagements and on his campaign website, some or all of which could be enacted in 2021 or future years.

More Attorney News

Practice Experience

  • Develop U.S. tax credit investment program for private multi-billion dollar international bank client and Fortune 500 company
  • Extensive tax credit work, both in the renewables and the oil and gas space (e.g., carbon sequestration)
  • Income and estate/gift tax planning for multi-billion dollar private companies and their owners
  • Income tax planning for Family Office tax reduction, qualified opportunity zone gain rollover
  • Create and structure funds used in real estate and private equity space
  • Business and succession planning, transfer of wealth and control
  • Tax controversy work for large privately held business and their families
  • Charitable giving, through the use of private foundations and public charities
  • Complete restructuring of multi-billion dollar family holdings in line with succession, asset and matrimonial protection and wealth generation for G4
  • Develop Multi-Family Office investment structure used in deals involving billions of value, in many industries, onshore and offshore
  • Facilitate the tax-free transfer of billions of value in private companies among generations of family owners
  • Create tax-advantaged generational transfer of intellectual property for $500 million family
  • Develop Mexican / US cross-border entry point for billionaire foreign nationals in their estate planning
  • Complete restructuring of large multi-generation Family Office and its oil, real estate, and equities holdings

Recognition & Accolades

  • The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Tax Law, 2011-2023
  • “Best Lawyers in Dallas” List, D Magazine, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014-2016, 2018-2022
  • Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2011-2012, 2020-2022
  • Rated AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell

Publications & Speeches

Publications

  • Co-Author, “Tax Benefits of Investing in QOFs: A New Tax Shelter Approved by Congress!” (February 2019)
  • Co-Author, “Treasury Releases Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Guidance” (October 25, 2018)
  • Author, “Qualified Opportunity Zones” (July 2018)

Speaking Engagements

  • “ACPEN Signature: 2020 Real Estate Taxation after Tax Reform,” The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network (ACPEN) (June 2020)
  • “QOZ Update—COVID Disaster Declarations Make QOZ Even More Taxpayer Friendly,” American Academy of Attorney-CPAs (May 5, 2020)
  • “Qualified Opportunity Zones: The “Dirt” on Tax-Driven Real Estate Development,” UT Law’s 23rd Annual Land Use Conference (April 2019)

In the News

  • “Multifamily project with QOZ bend headed to The Cedars,” Dallas Business Journal (February 16, 2022)
  • “Remember the Trump tax cut? Here’s how it might benefit low-income areas in Dallas,” Dallas News (September 20, 2018)
  • “Q&A With Jackson Walker’s Brian Dethrow,” Law360 (December 10, 2013)

Community Involvement

Professional

  • American Bar Association
  • Texas Bar Association
  • Dallas Bar Association

Civic and Philanthropic

  • Texas Federal Tax Institute, Board
  • Harvard Club of Dallas – VP Schools, Co-Chair, Schools Committee
  • UT Southwestern, Presidents Research Council
  • Dallas Foundation, Advisory Council
  • Southwestern Medical Foundation, Advisory Board

Practice Areas

  • Tax
  • Trusts & Estates

Experience

  • Family Office
  • Family-Owned Business
  • International Taxation
  • Qualified Opportunity Zone Representation
  • Renewable Energy
  • Tax Controversy & Litigation
  • Transactional Tax Planning
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