Brian L. Anderson joined DeWitt Ross & Stevens in 1996 after practicing law in Milwaukee, working at the "Big 8" accounting firm Touche Ross in Minneapolis, and clerking for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in Waukesha. He has a wealth of experience in a broad group of business and tax-related areas, and he currently is the chairperson of the law firm's Employee Benefits Practice Group.
Mr. Anderson assists employers and employees with 401(k) plans, pension plans, employee stock ownership plans, 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities, 457 and nonqualified deferred-compensation plans, stock options, phantom stock plans, health and welfare plans, and 125 cafeteria plans. He has served as independent trustee of retirement plans being terminated as a result of employer bankruptcy. He advises on ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other laws pertaining to employee benefits plans. From 1995 to 2004 he chaired the Employee Benefits Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin. From 2001 to 2003 he chaired the Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council, a liaison group between the IRS and practitioners. In 2001, he was one of six employee benefits professionals originally appointed by the IRS to its Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities.
In his business law practice, Mr. Anderson establishes corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs). He assists businesses regarding tax matters, contracts, ownership-succession planning, and transactions such as mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Anderson sets up many types of nonprofit organizations and helps them obtain tax-exempt status. Since 1990, he has been an active member of the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin. As a member of that committee, he was involved in the rewrite of Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 181 (the Wisconsin Nonprofit Corporation Law originally written in 1997). He is the author of Chapter 6 ("Employee Benefits") in A Guide for Wisconsin Nonprofit Organizations.
Among Mr. Anderson's unique skills, he performs specialized calculations regarding the amount of arbitrage that must be rebated to the federal government in connection with tax-exempt bonds.
Mr. Anderson helps individuals with their personal estate planning and charitable giving. He has been a frequent speaker at workshops on estate planning for retirement benefits. He is also fluent in German and has assisted international clients. Because of his work, Mr. Anderson has been named to the "top lawyers" list published by Madison Magazine. To read the article, click here. He also has been designated a Wisconsin Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine, and included in several editions of The Best Lawyers in America.
Professional affiliations include the American Bar Association Sections on Business Law and Taxation, Minnesota State Bar Association Sections on Employee Benefits and Taxation, and State Bar of Wisconsin Sections on Business Law, Taxation, and Real Property, Probate, and Trust. From 2004 to 2006 Mr. Anderson served as chair of the Business Law Section. Recently, he has been elected to the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Wisconsin. He is a past chair of the Federal Taxation Committee of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Active in the local community, Mr. Anderson was treasurer of his church and was elected to the board of trustees of the village in which he resided. He also plays ice hockey.
Mr. Anderson has advised clients in the following kinds of matters:
- Revision of an employee stock ownership plan to permit larger contribution deductions and extend coverage to more employees.
- Opinion regarding tax consequences of anti dilution provisions of an LLC operating agreement.
- Reorganization of a cooperative and its affiliated charitable trust to preserve tax exemption.
- Preparation of revocable living trust and related estate planning documents for a husband and wife with stock options worth $1 million.
- Acquisition of a $750,000 commercial real estate building in a tax-free like-kind exchange.
- Purchase of a closely held business with former owners agreeing to provide consulting services.
- Preparation of computer software development and licensing agreements.