William R. Welke, P.C.

Retired Partner Tax

Chicago +1 312 862 2143

William R. Welke, P.C.

Practices

Overview

Bill Welke focused his practice on the tax aspects of complex business transactions and entities, including: mergers, acquisitions, and leveraged buyouts; venture capital and other private equity investments; formation of private equity funds; joint ventures and partnerships; workouts and restructurings; tax contests and controversies.

Described as having “encyclopedic knowledge of tax structuring strategies” and “adept at cross-border international tax planning in the context of M&A,” one client said that Bill’s “uniquely tailored ideas are nuggets of gold that allow us to differentiate ourselves from competitors,” according to Chambers USA, in which Bill was selected as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Tax every year from 2003–2019. Bill was also listed as one of The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Tax in the 2002 and 2003 editions. Bill has been recognized in The Legal 500 U.S. as well.

More

Thought Leadership

Publications 

Levin, Rocap & Welke, "Carried Interest Legislative Proposals and Enterprise Value Tax," 129 Tax Notes 565 (2010).

Volume co-author of Ginsburg, Levin & Rocap, Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts (Wolters Kluwer).

Welke & Loy, "Compensating the Service Partner with Partnership Equity: Code Sec. 83 and Other Issues," 79 Taxes 94 (2001).

Levin, Sheffield, Rocap & Welke, "How VC/PE Funds Can Deliver Special LTCG Tax Benefits to Individual LPs and GPs" Venture Capital Review (Fall 2000).

Levin & Welke, "Five New Tax Developments Private Equity Investors Must Know in Structuring a Buyout or Venture Investment," Venture Capital Review (Spring 1999).

Levin & Welke, "Structuring Buyouts for "Recap" Accounting -- Maximizing Target's Post-Acquisition Book Earnings and IPO Value," Venture Capital Review (Spring 1998).

Levin & Welke, "Accounting for the Leveraged Buyout," Venture Capital Review (Spring 1998).

Javaras, Rocap & Welke, "Partnership Joint Ventures of Operating Businesses," 72 Taxes 779 (1994).

Levin, Javaras & Welke, "Code Section 162(m) — $1 Million Deduction Limit on Executive Compensation," 63 Tax Notes 723 (1994).

Levin, Javaras & Welke, "Code Section 162(m) — New $1 Million Deduction Limitation on Executive Compensation," 61 Tax Notes 95 (1993).

Levin, Gallagher & Welke, "Final Section 1504(a)(5) Regulation — Effect of Subsidiary's Options, Warrants, and Convertible Debentures on Subsidiary's Affiliated Group Membership," 59 Tax Notes 99 (1993).

Sheffield & Welke, "The Many Guises of Preferred Stock," 70 Taxes 793 (1992).

Levin & Welke, "New Proposed Section 1504(a)(5) Regulation — Effect of Subsidiary's Options, Warrants, and Convertible Debentures on Subsidiary's Affiliated Group Membership," 55 Tax Notes 1523 (1992).

Ginsburg, Levin, Welke & Wolfe, "CERTs: The New Limitations on NOL Carrybacks," 46 Tax Notes, 1315 (1990).

Wexler & Welke, "Section 338 — Consistency and Complexity," 63 Taxes 916 (1985).

Seminars

American Bar Association Tax Section

University of Chicago Federal Tax Conference

Tax Executives, Inc.

Practising Law Institute

Chicago - Kent Federal Tax Conference

Kentucky Tax Institute

International Fiscal Association

Chicago Federal Tax Forum

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 1983Illinois

Education

  • University of Michigan Law SchoolJ.D.magna cum laude1983
    Order of the Coif
  • Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyS.B., Mathematics1980

    Phi Beta Kappa

    Sigma Xi