Press Release

NEW ORLEANS—John F. Fletcher, a tax attorney at General Electric, has joined Jones Walker LLP as a partner in the Tax and Estates Practice Group and as a member of the firm's State and Local Tax ("SALT") team.

With more than 20 years' experience in the legal, corporate, and accounting arenas, John's practice focuses on state tax controversies and incentives, which encompass multi-state income, franchise, sales, use, and local ad valorem taxes. He will work primarily on multi-state SALT matters involving legislative and administrative issues, planning, and dispute resolution.

John, who will be resident in the firm's Jackson office, also will work with other practice groups and teams on economic development and business incentive projects.

John comes to the firm from General Electric, where he was State Tax Counsel and oversaw many of GE's state income and franchise tax audits and appeals across the country. These appeals covered a wide range of complex statutory and constitutional issues applicable to large multi-state and multi-national companies, and have encompassed GE's traditional industrial manufacturing operations, as well as the financial and media/entertainment industries related to the GE Capital and NBC/Universal businesses. He often assisted GE's State and Local Tax planning group with major acquisitions and dispositions, and provided legal support to its property tax team in appeals and litigation matters.

"John is a strong and valuable addition to our SALT team, which already is one of the deepest in the Southeast," said William M. Backstrom, Jr., Jones Walker's Tax and Estates Practice Group Leader. "John's extensive industry experience and legal reputation, will be a tremendous asset to our clients, whether they be multi-national corporate conglomerates, regional and local businesses, or individuals."

The Jones Walker SALT team provides state and local tax advice on business and transactional planning and structuring; tax policy and legislative advice; dispute resolution, both administrative and judicial; and business and tax incentives. SALT team attorneys regularly advise clients in many state and local taxing jurisdictions on matters involving income, franchise, net worth, gross receipts, sales/use, business and occupational license, severance, ad valorem property, and other miscellaneous taxes.

Earlier in his career, John was a member of KPMG's State and Local Tax practice in New York City while pursuing an LL.M. in Taxation at New  York University. John earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Delta State University, where he currently serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and his juris doctor degree at The University of Mississippi School of Law. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in Tennessee, a member of the American Bar Association's State and Local Tax Subcommittee, and a member of the Council on State Taxation ("COST").  

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP, with more than 375 attorneys, provides a comprehensive range of legal services to a national and international corporate client base through offices in Alabama, Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas.

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