BATON ROUGE — McGlinchey Stafford PLLC announced William “Willie” J. Kolarik II has joined the firm’s Baton Rouge office and Taxation practice group as Of Counsel.
Kolarik has significant experience in comparative state and local tax systems among the various states, providing commentary and analysis across income, sales and use, property, and other state and local taxes, law firm reps said. He has provided critical research on case law, administrative, and legislative developments in the areas of state and local taxation in connection with tax policy discussions for both commercial and governmental clients. In the area of tax controversy, Kolarik has represented energy industry clients before a variety of state and local taxing agencies.
Kolarik’s experience also includes assisting power and utilities clients with a variety of state and local tax matters as well as with the tax and tax related regulatory accounting issues associated with public utility ratemaking, such as normalization and consolidated tax savings adjustments.
“Willie is an experienced tax attorney with keen insight and business acumen, as well as in-depth knowledge of and practical experience with business operations across a variety of industries,” Rudy Aguilar, Managing Member of McGlinchey Stafford, said. “We are excited to welcome him to McGlinchey Stafford and to offer increased depth to our clients in Louisiana as well as nationally.”
Before joining McGlinchey Stafford, Kolarik spent six years in Ernst & Young's National Tax Department Indirect Tax practice, where he worked with the Power and Utilities group, the Indirect Tax Controversy group, and the State and Local Tax Center for Tax Policy. Prior to that, he spent six years with the Walt Disney Corporation’s Corporate Tax department, where he supervised the federal and state and local tax compliance for the Cable and Broadcasting group and assisted in state income tax planning projects, corporate restructurings, exposure analysis, legislative analysis, and the state income tax provision.
Kolarik has published substantive articles in The Tax Lawyer and State Tax Notes and co-authored a state and local tax column for CCH Corporate Business Taxation Monthly. His research has been cited in a petition for a writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, in an amicus curiae brief to the Illinois Supreme Court, and in peer reviewed law journals.
Kolarik received his LL.M. in Taxation, with distinction, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2010, and his J.D. and D.C.L., cum laude, from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University in 2009. He also earned his M.P.A. and B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. He is a Certified Public Account in California and Louisiana (inactive).
McGlinchey Stafford is a full-service law firm providing legal counsel to business clients nationwide. Guiding clients wherever business and law intersect, McGlinchey Stafford’s 200 attorneys are based in 13 offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington, DC.
