Jennifer H. Callahan

Shareholder, Director, Industry Group Leader

Paralegal: Lisa G. McKinzie
Bio Menu
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Honors & Involvement
Bio overview

Jennifer Callahan’s practice is focused on all aspects of executive compensation and benefits planning. She advises private and public companies of all sizes across a broad range of industries on the design, implementation and administration of equity and cash compensation arrangements, executive employment agreements, and employee benefit issues. She regularly provides guidance with respect to the tax and governance issues associated with executive employment agreements, equity compensation arrangements, and deferred compensation plans.

In addition to employee benefits and executive compensation, she provides tax and governance advice to tax-exempt organizations, including charitable organizations, schools and universities, healthcare organizations and private foundations, enabling them to navigate the unique tax and regulatory requirements applicable for maintaining tax-exempt status.

Jennifer also has extensive experience and knowledge of state and local tax issues. She advised clients with regard to sales and use tax, ad valorem and business incentives for manufacturers and other employers in Oklahoma.

Her achievements have earned her inclusion in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America (employee benefits/ERISA law; non-profit/charities law) and Oklahoma Super Lawyers, which also named her to its list of “Top 25 Women Lawyers.” She was selected by Best Lawyers as the “Oklahoma City Employee Benefits (ERISA) Lawyer of the Year” for 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2023 and “Oklahoma City Non-Profit/Charities Lawyer of the Year” for 2014 and 2021.

Jennifer serves on McAfee & Taft’s board of directors and co-chairs the firm’s Agriculture and Equine Industry Group.

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Experience, Honors, & Awards

Representative Experience

  • Drafting and implementation of all types of executive compensation plans and agreements, including employee stock option plans (both ISO and NQO), restricted stock plans and other equity based incentive plans, supplemental executive retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans (and related trusts), employment agreements, and severance/retention agreements.
  • Analysis of executive compensation plans and arrangements for 409A compliance.
  • Providing advice on golden parachute payments, Code Section 162(m), and severance payment issues incident to business transactions.
  • Advising tax-exempt organizations on formation, qualification, governance and issues associated with maintaining their tax-exempt status.
  • Formation of family foundations and private foundations and ongoing counseling regarding day-to-day operational matters, board governance and contractual matters.
  • Tax planning and administrative aspects of Oklahoma tax law with special emphasis on business incentives, including Oklahoma’s Quality Jobs and Small Employer Quality Jobs incentives, and ad valorem and sales tax exemptions.

Honors and Awards

  • Listed in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (employee benefits/ERISA law; non-profit/charities law)
  • Named “Oklahoma City Employee Benefits (ERISA) Lawyer of the Year” for 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2023 and “Oklahoma City Non-Profit/Charities Lawyer of the Year” for 2014 and 2021 by The Best Lawyers in America
  • Listed in Oklahoma Super Lawyers
  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings

Professional Organizations and Memberships

  • Oklahoma Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Civic Involvement and Leadership

  • Oklahoma State University Foundation Board of Governors (2017—2023)
  • Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (Tax Section)
  • Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (Former Member, Board of Directors)
  • Sunbeam Family Services (Former Member, Board of Directors)

ATPs display in this column

At The Podium

Compensation Incentives for Businesses

2019 Corporate Counsel Seminar
Oklahoma City, OK | December 5, 2019

Compensation Incentives for Businesses

2019 Corporate Counsel Seminar
Tulsa, OK | December 4, 2019

Ad Valorem, Sales and Use, and Other State Taxes: Tools, tips and traps

2017 Corporate Counsel Seminar
Oklahoma City, OK | December 7, 2017

Benefits, Executive Compensation and Privilege Issues You Should Be Thinking About

EmployerLINC17: Back to Basics
Tulsa, Oklahoma | March 23, 2017

Benefits, Executive Compensation and Privilege Issues You Should Be Thinking About

EmployerLINC17: Back to Basics
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | March 22, 2017

Overlooked Employment Tax Traps

EmployerLINC16: Employers under pressure
Oklahoma City, OK | March 30, 2016

Executive Compensation: Corporate best practices and planning opportunities

2015 Corporate Counsel Seminar
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | December 3, 2015

Executive Compensation: Opportunities and pitfalls

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | April 30, 2015

Executive Compensation: Opportunities and pitfalls

EmployerLINC 2015: Case studies in costly mistakes
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 28, 2015
Attorney Articles

Articles

Federal Tax Day 2020 Delayed

COVID-19: Fast Facts on the Tax Front

McAfee & Taft LINC Alert |
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Admissions

  • Oklahoma, 1996
  • U.S. Tax Court
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Education

  • J.D., with highest honors, University of Oklahoma, 1996
    • Oklahoma Law Review; Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi
  • M.S. (Accounting), Oklahoma City University, 1993
  • B.S. (Agricultural Business), summa cum laude, California Polytechnic State University, 1991
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In The News

Photo of McAfee & Taft exterior signage with the Best Lawyers logo overlaying the image
Best Lawyers' 2022 ‘Lawyers of the Year’
Best Lawyers names 128 McAfee & Taft lawyers to 2023 lists
2022 Women for OSU Annual Symposium at Gallagher-Iba Arena
Best Lawyers 2022

McAfee & Taft re-elects managing director, board of directors to new terms

Oklahoma Super Lawyers honors 93 McAfee & Taft attorneys in 2020 edition

Hat’s off to Jennifer Callahan, 2020 Agricultural Woman of the Year

Best Lawyers names 20 McAfee & Taft attorneys 2021 ‘Lawyers of the Year’ in 21 practice areas

McAfee & Taft’s Corporate Counsel 2019 Seminar draws hundreds of in-house lawyers

Oklahoma Super Lawyers honors 101 McAfee & Taft attorneys in 2019 edition

Charles Machine Works to be acquired by Toro for $700 million

Oklahoma Super Lawyers honors 113 McAfee & Taft attorneys in 2018 edition

Best Lawyers honors 25 McAfee & Taft attorneys as ‘Lawyers of the Year’ for 2019

The Best Lawyers in America names 107 McAfee & Taft attorneys to 2019 edition

The Best Lawyers in America names 102 McAfee & Taft attorneys to 2018 edition

McAfee & Taft seminar draws large crowds looking for answers about new administration

Chambers USA 2016 honors McAfee & Taft as top-ranked firm, 41 firm attorneys as leading lawyers

‘Employers Under Pressure’ draws record attendance

McAfee & Taft elects Tim Bomhoff and Jennifer Callahan to 2016 board of directors

Best Lawyers names 17 McAfee & Taft attorneys as 2016 ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in 18 categories

Annual seminar offers employers real-world examples of costly, common mistakes

President Obama highlights firm client ASCO Industries

Old school vs. business casual

The Journal Record |

Oklahoman article spotlights ‘Super 401(k)’ developed by firm attorneys

The Oklahoman |

Business Week spotlights cutting-edge benefits plan developed by McAfee & Taft attorneys

Business Week |