John B. Waters

Of Counsel
Chicago
70 West Madison Street
Suite 3000
Chicago, IL 60602
P 312.582.1685
F 312.580.1201
P 312.582.1685 | F 312.580.1201

Overview

John focuses his practice on business transactions and federal and state taxation. He advises for-profit businesses in health care and other fields on business formation, equity offerings, mergers, acquisitions, sales and reorganizations with the objective of maximizing tax efficiency.

John advises not-for-profit organizations in obtaining and maintaining their federal and state tax exemptions and defending such exemptions on audit. Represented charities include private foundations, medical clinics, research entities and religious organizations.

In connection with his business and transactional practice, John provides legal counsel in connection with corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and their operative documents including, asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, membership interest purchase agreements, merger agreements, equity compensation plans, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, partnership agreements, employment agreements and nonqualified deferred compensation plans.

John also advises clients on both personal and business tax issues and has represented clients in audits and other tax controversies in the U.S. Tax Court and before the IRS and State of Illinois. He has extensive experience in assisting clients with audits, tax liens and levies, trust fund recovery penalty defense, collection due process hearings, offers in compromise, installment agreements, obtaining currently not collectible status and offshore voluntary disclosures.

Experience
  • Represented physicians who repurchased their practice assets from a publicly traded medical management company and formed of one of the largest medical groups in Illinois with financing in excess of $20 million
  • Represented an Illinois-based multi-specialty group practice (with over 40 physicians) valued at over $16 million in connection with the sale of its assets and imaging center subsidiary to a tax-exempt hospital
  • Represented a construction company in a $9.5 million sale of its business
  • Represented a diagnostic product manufacturer in connection with an $8.1 million stock sale
  • Represented an Illinois-based multi-specialty group practice in a $2.5 million sale of the assets of its internal medicine division to a tax-exempt hospital
  • Represented an Illinois-based oncology practice in the $1 million sale of the assets of its Geneva, Illinois practice to an Illinois-based not-for-profit corporation
  • Represented companies in connection with private placements of securities in multiple states
  • Successfully represented officers and administrative personnel in connection with proposed assessments of trust fund recovery penalties relating to payroll taxes
  • Represented clients in connection with tax free split-ups and mergers of physician and dental groups
Services

Industries

Education

  1. Iowa State University, B.S.
  2. North Carolina State University, M.N.E.
  3. University of Idaho College of Law, J.D.
    • Idaho Law Review
  4. DePaul University College of Law, LL.M., Taxation

Credentials

Bar Admissions
  1. Idaho
  2. Illinois
Court Admissions
  1. U.S. Tax Court

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations
  • American Bar Association, Member of Section of Taxation
  • Illinois State Bar Association
    • Member of Section of Federal Taxation
    • Member of Section of Health Care Law

Insights

  1. Alerts
    Supreme Court to Rule on Estate Tax Valuation of Stock Purchased with Corporate-Owned Life Insurance Proceeds (Feb 27, 2024)
    IRS Issues Proposed Regulations on Long-Term, Part-Time Employees (Jan 5, 2024)
    IRS Issues Inflation Adjustments for 2024 (Nov 13, 2023)
    Saving for College While Also Saving for…Retirement? (Oct 10, 2023)
    Key Secure Act 2.0 Provisions Affecting Retirement Plans (Apr 11, 2023)
  2. Articles
    Business Partnerships 2018 Edition - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2018)
    Business Partnerships 2018 Edition - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (2018)
    Gain Realized by Non-Resident Foreign Partner Upon the Sale of Its Interest in a U.S. Partnership is Not U.S.-Source Income Unless an Exception Applies (Aug 9, 2017)
    IRS Eases Safe Harbor Conditions Under Which a Contract with a Hospital Will Not Result in Private Business Use of Tax-Exempt Bond-Financed Property (Sep 12, 2016)
    Business Law (Illinois): LLCs and Partnerships - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (Jan 1, 2014)
  3. Podcasts
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: HIPAA Privacy and the Novel Coronavirus (Mar 11, 2020)
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: Optimizing Your Practice for Sale (October 2019)
  4. Firm News
    Roetzel Transitioning to Virtual Work Environment (Mar 16, 2020)
    Roetzel Represents C.S.I. Enterprises, Inc. in $600 Million Acquisition by Edenred (Nov 28, 2018)
    Roetzel's Chicago Office Announces Leading Tax Lawyers (Feb 22, 2016)
    Roetzel's Chicago Office Expands with Addition of 11 Attorneys (Apr 30, 2015)

Overview

John focuses his practice on business transactions and federal and state taxation. He advises for-profit businesses in health care and other fields on business formation, equity offerings, mergers, acquisitions, sales and reorganizations with the objective of maximizing tax efficiency.

John advises not-for-profit organizations in obtaining and maintaining their federal and state tax exemptions and defending such exemptions on audit. Represented charities include private foundations, medical clinics, research entities and religious organizations.

In connection with his business and transactional practice, John provides legal counsel in connection with corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and their operative documents including, asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, membership interest purchase agreements, merger agreements, equity compensation plans, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, partnership agreements, employment agreements and nonqualified deferred compensation plans.

John also advises clients on both personal and business tax issues and has represented clients in audits and other tax controversies in the U.S. Tax Court and before the IRS and State of Illinois. He has extensive experience in assisting clients with audits, tax liens and levies, trust fund recovery penalty defense, collection due process hearings, offers in compromise, installment agreements, obtaining currently not collectible status and offshore voluntary disclosures.

Experience
  • Represented physicians who repurchased their practice assets from a publicly traded medical management company and formed of one of the largest medical groups in Illinois with financing in excess of $20 million
  • Represented an Illinois-based multi-specialty group practice (with over 40 physicians) valued at over $16 million in connection with the sale of its assets and imaging center subsidiary to a tax-exempt hospital
  • Represented a construction company in a $9.5 million sale of its business
  • Represented a diagnostic product manufacturer in connection with an $8.1 million stock sale
  • Represented an Illinois-based multi-specialty group practice in a $2.5 million sale of the assets of its internal medicine division to a tax-exempt hospital
  • Represented an Illinois-based oncology practice in the $1 million sale of the assets of its Geneva, Illinois practice to an Illinois-based not-for-profit corporation
  • Represented companies in connection with private placements of securities in multiple states
  • Successfully represented officers and administrative personnel in connection with proposed assessments of trust fund recovery penalties relating to payroll taxes
  • Represented clients in connection with tax free split-ups and mergers of physician and dental groups

Education

  1. Iowa State University, B.S.
  2. North Carolina State University, M.N.E.
  3. University of Idaho College of Law, J.D.
    • Idaho Law Review
  4. DePaul University College of Law, LL.M., Taxation

Credentials

Bar Admissions
  1. Idaho
  2. Illinois
Court Admissions
  1. U.S. Tax Court

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations
  • American Bar Association, Member of Section of Taxation
  • Illinois State Bar Association
    • Member of Section of Federal Taxation
    • Member of Section of Health Care Law

Insights

  1. Alerts
    Supreme Court to Rule on Estate Tax Valuation of Stock Purchased with Corporate-Owned Life Insurance Proceeds (Feb 27, 2024)
    IRS Issues Proposed Regulations on Long-Term, Part-Time Employees (Jan 5, 2024)
    IRS Issues Inflation Adjustments for 2024 (Nov 13, 2023)
    Saving for College While Also Saving for…Retirement? (Oct 10, 2023)
    Key Secure Act 2.0 Provisions Affecting Retirement Plans (Apr 11, 2023)
  2. Articles
    Business Partnerships 2018 Edition - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2018)
    Business Partnerships 2018 Edition - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (2018)
    Gain Realized by Non-Resident Foreign Partner Upon the Sale of Its Interest in a U.S. Partnership is Not U.S.-Source Income Unless an Exception Applies (Aug 9, 2017)
    IRS Eases Safe Harbor Conditions Under Which a Contract with a Hospital Will Not Result in Private Business Use of Tax-Exempt Bond-Financed Property (Sep 12, 2016)
    Business Law (Illinois): LLCs and Partnerships - Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (Jan 1, 2014)
  3. Podcasts
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: HIPAA Privacy and the Novel Coronavirus (Mar 11, 2020)
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: Optimizing Your Practice for Sale (October 2019)
  4. Firm News
    Roetzel Transitioning to Virtual Work Environment (Mar 16, 2020)
    Roetzel Represents C.S.I. Enterprises, Inc. in $600 Million Acquisition by Edenred (Nov 28, 2018)
    Roetzel's Chicago Office Announces Leading Tax Lawyers (Feb 22, 2016)
    Roetzel's Chicago Office Expands with Addition of 11 Attorneys (Apr 30, 2015)