On May 8, 2012, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed into law Georgia House Bill 868 expanding Georgia’s new research and development tax credit available to Georgia businesses. Find out how this change affects current Georgia businesses and why this may attract more businesses to Georgia.
Edward H. Brown/Burr & Forman
Based in the Atlanta office, Ed Brown is Vice-Chair of Burr & Forman’s Business section and a Partner in the firm’s Corporate law practice group focusing on taxation and estate planning. He has over twenty-four years of experience in franchise law, mergers and acquisitions and personal planning, specifically with federal estate and gift taxation.
Ed’s corporate and tax law practice includes assisting clients who are involved in the formation and development of business ventures and representing both companies and individuals seeking venture capital financing. He represents venture capital companies and investors in funding early-stage and start-up companies and also represents both buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of businesses, through tax-free mergers, stock purchase arrangements, and asset acquisitions. Ed regularly works with real estate developers and investors in developing effective structures for the acquisition, development and ultimate disposition of property. His experience also includes representing public and private companies in connection with access to capital securities and markets.
Ed is licensed to practice in Georgia and Illinois, Georgia Superior Courts, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Tax Court. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and the State Bar of Georgia. In 2012, Ed was named as a “Leader in their Field” in Coporate & M&A Law by the highly regarded Chambers USA, a legal directory featuring client-led intelligence on America’s leading lawyers. Ed recently co-hosted a webinar with Steve Ennen of SocialStrategy1 entitled Corporate Policies in Social Media, where they discussed how companies can create proper social media policies and how to approach social media with the compliance of corporate policies. Ed received his LL.M. in Taxation in 1984 from Emory University. In addition, Ed has spoken before a variety of business and accounting groups, has written on business and tax law issues, and has appeared as a guest analyst on CNBC. Ed serves on the Board of Directors and as President of the Atlanta Junior Golf Foundation. He earned his J.D. in 1980 from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1977.
Melissa L. Horne/Smith & Howard, PC
Melissa L. Horne, CPA, is a Senior Manager in the Tax Group of Smith & Howard, a nationally-ranked “Best of the Best” CPA firm. Melissa’s expertise involves tax planning, compliance and consulting services for high net-worth individuals and businesses. She has worked extensively with manufacturing, distribution, insurance, construction, professional services, and trucking businesses throughout the Southeast. Melissa seeks to help her clients minimize taxes and take advantage of the significant R&D and other tax credits available to them in Georgia.
Melissa received a BBA in Accounting and a BBA in Finance from Valdosta State University, and a Master of Taxation from Georgia State University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and in the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, where she is a member of the taxation section, an alumnus of the GSCPA Leadership Academy and has served on the Financial Literacy Task Force. Melissa is a CPA Professional Mentor and a member of the Atlanta Tax Forum.
