Tax Treatment of Lawsuit Settlements: What Every Litigator Should Know

Robert W. Wood | Wood LLP

Rob Wood is often listed among the top ten tax lawyers in America. He handles a broad range of tax planning and tax controversies. He also serves as an expert witness on tax matters in civil cases, class actions, disputes over independent contractor or employee classification, etc. A widely published author known for explaining and demystifying complex tax concepts, Mr. Wood is best known for his expertise in advising plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, and settlement funds on settlements and judgments. He authored the leading book on this topic, Taxation of Damage Awards & Settlement Payments (5th Ed 2021), as well as the Bloomberg Tax Management Portfolio Tax Aspects of Settlements and Judgments (522).

The author of numerous other tax books and hundreds of articles, he is listed among the elite tax lawyers in the United States by many best lawyer’s periodicals. Mr. Wood writes regular columns in Tax Notes, Forbes and other publications, and comments on tax matters in the media.

I. Understanding damage awards| 1:00pm – 1:15pm

II. Capital gains vs. ordinary income | 1:15pm – 1:30pm

III. Attorney fees and tax deductibility | 1:30pm – 1:45pm

IV. Strategic settlement structuring | 1:45pm – 2:00pm