JAY HARRELSON advises public, private and not-for-profit entities on state and federal tax matters. He works collaboratively across H³GM's various practice groups to develop innovative and creative solutions that provide clients with maximum tax relief for their situation.  

Jay advises start-ups on the choice of entity and structure, including C-corps, S-corps, limited liability corporations and partnerships. He also provides advice on more complex matters such as public offerings, going private transactions, joint ventures and leveraged buyouts. Jay analyzes a transaction's compliance with tax law and regulatory rules and works to structure it in the most economically advantageous way for the client. Jay also has experience advising private equity and hedge funds on formation, financing and on-going operations.

Jay has extensive experience in the nuanced and technical tax laws associated with executive compensation. Not only is this a multifaceted area of the law, but it is also heavily scrutinized by shareholders. Jay takes into consideration these complexities and works with boards and senior management on employment and separation agreements, equity compensation and incentives, nonqualified deferred compensation under 409A, and corporate compliance with SEC, IRS and DOL requirements.

In the ever-changing world of employee benefits, Jay works with clients to design, implement and administer qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans under ERISA law. He advises clients on 401(k) plans, pension plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs), group health plans, insurance arrangements, and flexible spending account plans.  

Jay was a Certified Public Accountant in the petroleum and financial services industries before attending law school. He was a partner at Ramsay, Bridgforth, Harrelson & Starling in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, before moving to Nashville, where he became a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis LLP. Jay came to H³GM in early 2010.