Rich Johnson is a transactional and taxation attorney who focuses his practice on a wide range of legal issues, including business acquisitions and financing, tax credit financing, probate and estate administration, ad valorem taxation, tax litigation, and general corporate governance and operations.
Rich’s transactional experience encompasses the areas of asset and stock mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, real estate acquisitions and development, and related financing structures and agreements. In addition to complicated transactions, he also assists clients with their everyday business operations, including negotiating and drafting various agreements and advising on best corporate governance practices.
As a member of the firm’s taxation group, Rich enjoys advising clients on structuring economic development projects to qualify for state and federal tax incentives, such as New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits, and tax increment financing (TIF) districts. He also represents corporate and individual taxpayers in state and local taxation matters, federal and state tax appeals, and related litigation matters. Finally, Rich has significant experience in advising clients regarding state ad valorem taxation matters, including securing exemptions from ad valorem taxation for large nonprofit and hospital clients.
Rich also counsels clients in all aspects of estate planning, probate and estate administration, settlement of complex estate matters, and settlement and litigation of disputes regarding wills and trusts.
Rich’s achievements have earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; nonprofit/charities law; real estate law; tax law; trusts and estates) and Oklahoma Super Lawyers’ list of “Oklahoma Rising Stars,” which recognizes the state’s top up-and-coming attorneys.
Prior to joining McAfee & Taft, Rich worked as a state and local tax accountant for one of the nation’s largest oil and gas companies and as a private practice lawyer focused on estate planning, probate and oil and gas law. While pursuing his graduate degrees, he also gained valuable hands-on tax, legal and oil and gas experience working for a national marketer of petroleum products and a diversified oilfield service company.