William Brown

William R. Brown Jr is an associate and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. Mr. Brown’s practice includes advising clients with respect to the acquisition, disposition, development, leasing and financing of various asset classes, including multi-family, office, retail, timberland, and vacant land.

It also includes advising clients in addressing real estate, title, and survey issues arising in connection with the development, construction, finance, and disposition of wind and solar energy generating and transmission projects across the U.S., in addition to negotiating option and lease agreements relating to the construction and operation of solar energy facilities (ground mount and rooftop) and energy storage systems.

He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice and Energy Industry Team and is chair of the firm’s Veterans and Allies Affinity Group’s Pro Bono and Charity Committee.

Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Brown served as a senior attorney at the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel. During his time with Chief Counsel, he provided strategic legal counsel to IRS field personnel and the IRS Office of Appeals on federal tax cases involving complex businesses and high net worth individuals.

Mr. Brown effectively litigated sixteen cases on behalf of the IRS in the U.S. Tax Court. Some of his docketed court cases involved the adversarial dissolution of an S corporation, substantiation of basis and amounts at-risk in S corporations to permit flow-through losses, valuation of real property conservation easements, I.R.C. § 469 passive activity loss for alleged real estate professionals, and fraud.

Mr. Brown has a distinguished military career, attaining the rank of Captain and serving more than six years in the U.S. Army.

He was an Airborne Ranger and Jumpmaster with the 82nd Airborne Division when he participated in the invasion of Iraq as the executive officer of an infantry company of paratroopers.

While in Baghdad, he also served on battalion staff as the battalion’s human intelligence officer, where he interviewed Iraqi informants, interrogated detainees, served as the liaison to local Special Forces units, and acted as the on-ground intelligence adviser for the commanding officer during combat missions. Mr. Brown served two tours in Iraq.

Education :

Mr. Brown completed his master of laws degree in taxation at the Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., with distinction, 2015). He received his law degree from Florida State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2009), where he was president of the Real Estate Law Society, served as an ambassador for the admissions department, and was a member of Dean Don Weidner’s Kitchen Cabinet.

Admissions and Professional Membership :

Mr. Brown is admitted to practice in Florida and before the U.S. Tax Court. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the Jacksonville Bar Association.