Practice Areas
Education
- Columbia University School of Law, J.D., 1996
Columbia Law Review, staff member, 1994-1995, editor, 1995-1996 - Case Western Reserve University, B.S., 1992, summa cum laude
Bar & Court Admissions
Joseph is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office, a member of the tax group and the head of the federal tax subgroup. He practices generally in the area of federal taxation, including public and private mergers, tax-free and taxable acquisitions and divestitures, partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations, joint ventures, venture capital, real estate, restructurings, financing and equity transactions. Joseph advises in transactions involving federal New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits and Qualified Opportunity Zones. Joseph’s federal practice also includes tax aspects of the oil and gas industry, including divestitures and joint ventures relating to interests in the Utica Shale formation in eastern Ohio.
Career highlights include:
- Structuring and analysis of numerous transactions involving partnerships, limited liability companies, and joint ventures, including entity formation, dissolution, sale, merger, division and restructuring
- Structuring and analysis of numerous transactions involving S corporations and Qualified Subchapter S Subsidiaries
- Structuring and analysis of numerous taxable and tax-free mergers, acquisitions and divestitures
Joseph is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. He is also licensed to practice in New York.
Joseph received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a staff member and an editor of the Columbia Law Review. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University.
Professional and Community Activities
- Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Tax Committee, 2014-present
News
- 1/29/2021Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with the acquisition by its Pressure Cylinders segment of General Tools & Instruments Company LLC (General Tools), a provider of feature-rich, specialized tools in various categories including environmental health & safety, precision measurement & layout, home repair & remodel, lawn & garden and specific purpose tools.
- 8/3/2020Vorys recently advised Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and its wholly-owned indirect subsidiary Abercrombie & Fitch Management Co. in connection with the Rule 144A/Regulation S offering.
- 10/11/2019Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Heidtman Steel Products, Inc.’s pickling and slitting facility located in Cleveland.
- 9/4/2019Vorys recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. and two of its European subsidiaries in their €91.7 million private placement offering of senior notes.
- 7/22/2019Joseph Mann, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office, was recently quoted in a Columbus Business First story about Qualified Opportunity Zones.
- 7/28/2017Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its underwritten public offering of $200 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.300% Notes due 2032.
- 6/4/2015Vorys recently advised A. Schulman, Inc. in connection with senior secured credit facilities provided by a group of lenders led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent in connection with its acquisition of HGGC Citadel Plastics Holdings, Inc. (Citadel) for the purchase price of $800 million.
- 1/19/2015Vorys recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the business of Rome Strip Steel Company, Inc. for a purchase price of approximately $55.5 million.
- 9/5/2014Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised R.G. Barry Corporation in its sale to MRGB Hold Co., an affiliate of Mill Road Capital.
- 8/1/2014Vorys recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the business of Midstream Equipment Fabrication LLC for a purchase price of $40 million.
- 7/31/2014Vorys recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the business of James Russell Engineering Works, Inc.
- 7/22/2013Vorys recently advised Salt Run Capital, Inc. in connection with its sale of The Oxford Oil Company, LLC to Eclipse Resources I, LP.
- 4/16/2013Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised the Pressure Cylinders segment of Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the business of Palmer Mfg. &Tank, Inc., for $113,500,000.
- 1/2/2013Vorys announced that Matthew E. Albers, Tiffany Bingham Briscoe, Daniel J. Clark, Whitney C. Gibson, Robert J. Krummen, Christina M. Lyons, Joseph B. Mann, Timothy B. McGranor, Adam L. Miller, Ariel A. Mullin, William H. Oldach, III, Nicholas M.J. Ray, and Michael J. Settineri have been named partners of the firm.
Events
- 4/2/2020Our third multi-disciplinary webinar on the various business and legal implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took place on Thursday, April 2, 2020.
- 2/21/2020Vorys hosted its fifth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference on February 21, 2020.
- 10/16/2019Vorys Partner Joseph Mann spoke at the Ohio State Bar Association’s (OSBA) Advanced Commercial Real Estate Seminar on October 16, 2019.
- 7/9/2019Vorys Partner Joseph Mann spoke to the Rotary Club of Marion regarding the Opportunity Zone Designation on July 9, 2019.
- 4/9/2019Vorys Partners Joseph Mann and Scott Ziance spoke at a Columbus REALTORS event on April 9, 2019.
- 2/22/2019Vorys hosted its fourth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference on February 22, 2019.
- 2/6/2019Vorys Partners Kelly Bissinger and Joseph Mann, along with co-founder of EquityPlus Avram Fecher, hosted a webinar entitled, “Federal Qualified Opportunity Zones” on February 6, 2019.
- 1/23/2019Vorys Partners Kelly Bissinger and Joseph Mann hosted the complimentary webinar, Qualified Opportunity Zones: What are they and how do they work?, on January 23, 2019.
- 5/24/2018On May 24, 2018, Vorys Partners Joseph Man and Scott Ziance presented at the I-70/75 Economic Development Summit.
- 2/22/2018Vorys attorneys Joseph Mann and Lauren Fromme presented at the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association meeting on February 22, 2018.
- 2/24/2017Vorys hosted the 2017 Ohio Economic Development Incentives Conference on February 24, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2/12/2016Several Vorys attorneys will be speakers at the Ohio Economic Development Incentives Conference on February 12, 2016.
Insights
- 3/11/2021On Wednesday, March 10th, the House passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the third major federal COVID-19 relief act following the CARES Act and the December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act. President Biden is expected to sign it into law Friday.
- 1/15/2021The Covid-relief act (the Act) signed into law on December 27, 2020 includes a number of provisions meant to juice up the economy amidst the ongoing pandemic.
- 12/30/2020In early 2020, the CARES Act created a refundable payroll tax credit (the Employee Retention Tax Credit, or the “ERTC”) for eligible payroll costs of certain employers who were negatively impacted by COVID.
- 12/28/2020Since the original enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), the IRS has consistently taken the position that borrowers may not claim a deduction for expenses resulting in the tax-free forgiveness of their loan.
- 12/27/2020Late on December 27, the President signed a $900 billion relief package that will provide aid to individuals and businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposal last week.
- 11/20/2020
- 11/20/2020Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers have been waiting for additional guidance on the deductibility of PPP-funded expenses.
- 11/19/2020On November 16, the IRS provided guidance clarifying the effect of M&A transactions involving target Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers on a business’s eligibility for the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC).
- 8/31/2020On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued a memorandum directing the Treasury Department to enable employers to defer withholding and payment of employees’ share of social security taxes.
- 8/19/2020
- 8/11/2020On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Treasury to expand a tax deferral opportunity to the employee’s share of the social security tax and to further explore turning the employee deferral into a waiver. We believe a waiver would require legislative action.
- 7/30/2020On July 28, 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia unanimously passed the District of Columbia Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Clarification Amendment Act of 2020 (the Act) as a component of the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Support Act of 2020 (B23-0760).
- 6/8/2020Employers with PPP loans forgiven are now fully eligible to take advantage of Employer Social Security Tax deferral.
- 5/8/2020
- 5/4/2020The IRS has issued FAQs providing additional guidance on several aspects of the CARES Act Employee Retention Tax Credit.
- 5/1/2020On April 30 the IRS issued Notice 2020-32, which concludes that where an employer obtains forgiveness of an amount of a PPP loan, the employer may not claim a tax deduction for the eligible expenditures resulting in such forgiveness.
- 4/23/2020Following weeks of negotiations, today Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act providing a relief from the widespread economic injury caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- 4/14/2020As with all aspects of Federal COVID-19 relief, guidance on claiming federal tax credits and deferring payroll tax liability is rapidly evolving and is subject to change. The following provides an outline of guidance on these issues as of the date of this alert.
- 4/1/2020In addition to the CARES Act, a number of states have enacted legislation, implemented relief programs, or made available state resources to further assist businesses in combating mounting economic hardships. This alert summarizes the state-specific relief efforts in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
- 3/31/2020The CARES Act includes a number of tax provisions designed to provide tax relief to businesses and business owners. One such benefit is a refundable tax credit available to certain employers for wages paid during periods of partial or complete shutdown, or significant decline in gross receipts, resulting from COVID-19.
- 3/30/2020In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 197 into law on March 27, 2020, a bill that had passed unanimously in the Ohio General Assembly.
- 3/27/2020The CARES Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020, dramatically extends the deadline for employers to make social security tax payments on 2020 payroll.
- 3/26/2020Following days of often tense negotiations, the United States Senate has passed the third phase of federal coronavirus relief legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which will provide $2 trillion in economic aid to individuals and businesses impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency.
- 3/23/2020A complete summary of Treasury’s current guidance on the extension of federal income tax payment and filing deadlines is included in this Federal Tax Bulletin.
- 3/20/2020On Wed., March 18, Treasury released Notice 2020-17 (the “Notice”), which extends the due date for making federal income tax payments that are due on April 15, 2020.
- 3/20/2020Since the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States was discovered in late January, the federal government has taken several steps to both fight the spread of the disease and blunt its economic impact on the American economy.
- 3/19/2020On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was approved by Congress and signed by President Trump. There are a number of provisions in the law that will directly impact many employers. Key portions of the bill are discussed in this alert.
- Winter 2020We welcomed in February more than 300 guests at Vorys’ fifth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference – again making it the nation’s largest conference focused solely on economic development incentives.
- 3/3/2020
- 1/30/2020On December 19, 2019, two years after the federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program was enacted, the Treasury Department released final regulations providing guidance on how to apply the rules under this program.
- 1/21/2020As part of general federal tax reform in 2017, Congress enacted a provision that required tax-exempt organizations to pay tax on certain amounts paid or incurred for employee parking (the Parking Tax).
- 12/13/2019
- 12/2/2019Taxpayers interested in claiming the Ohio Opportunity Zone Tax Credit (OZ Tax Credit) for tax year 2019 should be aware that the window to apply for the first come, first served tax credit will open on January 2, 2020 at 10:00am EST.
- 11/13/2019Time is running out to clearly maximize the tax benefits available under the qualified opportunity zone (QOZ) program.
- 7/31/2019In the Summer 2019 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, read about the provisions that impact state law governing economic development incentives in Ohio's Budget Bill and the changes coming to Ohio's Job Retention Tax Credit.
- Spring 2019Through Vorys’ fourth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference – hosted in February – we welcomed more than 270 guests from three countries and seven states.
- 1/2/2019Starting in 2018, an employer is no longer able to deduct the expense associated with “any parking” provided to employees on or near the workplace.
- 12/4/2018On October 31, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of the Treasury released proposed regulations under Section 956 of the Internal Revenue Code (Proposed Regulations) that, for certain U.S. corporate shareholders, generally undo the “deemed dividend” rules that have applied to foreign corporate subsidiaries for decades.
- 10/31/2018On October 19, 2018, Treasury issued Proposed Regulations and a Revenue Ruling (together, the Guidance) which address many important QOZ questions, generally in a taxpayer favorable manner.
- 9/10/2018On August 29, 2018, House Speaker Pro Tempore Kirk Schuring introduced a bill (H.B. No. 727) to create a tax credit for investments in Qualified Opportunity Zones.
- 8/21/2018New rules effective for partnership taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 dramatically alter the rights and obligations of partnerships (including LLCs treated as partnerships for tax purposes) and partners, in connection with IRS partnership audits and resulting tax assessments.
- 7/3/2018In the Summer 2018 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, read our Top 10 most interesting facts about the Foxconn deal, read a recap of the Ohio Supreme Court decision on what takes priority – a TIF exemption or another exemption, and seven interesting things to know about the City of Columbus' proposed incentives policy.
- 4/19/2018The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated the list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones on their website to include the designation of 320 Qualified Opportunity Zones in the state of Ohio, as well as additional Qualified Opportunity Zones in Alabama, Delaware, Missouri, Texas and the Northern Marianas Islands.
- 4/16/2018Family office investment vehicles often are organized as limited partnerships or LLCs treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes.
- 4/11/2018Family office investment vehicles often are organized as limited partnerships or LLCs treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes.
- Spring 2018This article is the first of a series intended to provide developers with an overview of the life cycle of New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions.
- Spring 2018Vorys third annual Economic Development Incentives Conference – hosted in February – welcomed more than 160 guests from several states across the country.
- 3/23/2018In the Spring 2018 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, read a Q&A with Chris Chung, CEO of North Carolina’s Economic Development Partnership; learn about strategies for successfully obtaining New Market Tax Credit financing; and see a recap of Vorys’ 2018 Economic Development Incentives Conference.
- 2/19/2018As part of federal tax reform, Congress created a new program to encourage investment in businesses that are located in low-income communities that are designated as “Qualified Opportunity Zones.” This program creates a new potential source of capital for businesses and real estate developments located in Qualified Opportunity Zones, while at the same time creating a new tax benefit for investors seeking to reduce their tax burden on taxable asset dispositions.
- 2/8/2018As part of federal tax reform, Congress created a new “Qualified Opportunity Zone” program to encourage investment in businesses that are located in low-income communities.
- 1/5/2018Beginning in 2018, an individual taxpayer generally may deduct 20% of his or her share of “qualified business income” from a U.S. trade or business operated through a partnership (including an LLC treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes), S corporation, or sole proprietorship (including an LLC treated as a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes) (the QBI Deduction).
- 1/2/2018The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) was signed into law on December 22.
- 12/29/2017The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) was signed into law on December 22. The Act brings about immediate, sweeping changes to the federal income tax laws, affecting businesses and business owners across all industries. Most provisions of the Act are effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Certain provisions, however, are retroactive to September or November of 2017.
- 12/1/2017Joseph Mann, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the tax group, authored an article for the OOGA Bulletin (the monthly publication of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association) titled “IRS Announces that Marginal Well Production Credits are Available for 2016 Natural Gas Production.”
- Fall 2017In order to claim Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits (OHPTCs) on a project, a taxpayer must first receive a tax credit certificate (certificate) from the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA).
- 11/15/2017In the Fall 2017 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, read a Q&A with Kenny McDonald, president and chief economic officer of Columbus 2020; learn about how the new effective date for the Ohio historic preservation tax credit certificates could cause a delay in claiming credit; and learn more about what it mean now that Illinois was reinstated and revised the EDGE Tax Credit.
- 8/9/2017In the Summer 2017 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, learn five more common TIF misconceptions, read about the growing pains municipalities are facing with GASB 77 and find out which Ohio county auditors will complete the required six-year tax appraisal of all properties located in their counties this year.
- 7/6/2017Last Fall, Ohio joined several other states in enacting legislation that permits high net worth families to form their own family trust company, commonly referred to as a private trust company (PTC).
- 6/30/2017The IRS has issued proposed regulations that implement the “centralized partnership audit regime” recently enacted by Congress.
- Spring 2017In order for a development project to be eligible for Ohio state historic preservation tax credits, the director of Ohio Development Services must make a specific award of tax credits to that project.
- 4/10/2017In the Spring 2017 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, learn five common TIF misconceptions, learn more about the two significant developments related to Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits that happened at the end of 2016 and read a recap of the Vorys Ohio Economic Development Incentives Conference.
- 1/2017Joseph Mann, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the tax group, authored an article for the OOGA Bulletin titled "Enhanced Oil Recovery Credits and Marginal Well Production Credits: Potential Availability for 2016."
- Fall 2016The federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program was created in 2000 for the purpose of encouraging investment in businesses and commercial projects, including real estate development, that benefit low-income communities.
- 11/15/2016In the Fall 2016 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, learn more about Downtown redevelopment districts and about the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program.
- 11/14/2016How partnership liabilities (including liabilities of a limited liability company treated as a partnership for tax purposes) are allocated among its partners is important.
- Summer 2016On July 22, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Treasury published long awaited temporary and proposed regulations (Regulations) regarding so-called “50(d) income” affecting historic tax credit (HTC) transactions and energy tax credit (ETC) transactions.
- 8/1/2016In the Summer 2016 edition of Development Incentives Quarterly, read about the long sought-after clarification as to whether Community Reinvestment Act credit is available for Historic Tax Credit financed projects and the proposed regulations regarding so-called “50(d) income” affecting historic tax credit transactions and energy tax credit transactions.
- 5/3/2016The IRS recently issued proposed regulations that, if finalized, would treat debt instruments between related persons as stock under certain circumstances.
- 12/1/2015In November, 2015, as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, new rules were enacted governing partnership audits and assessments by the IRS.
- 8/6/2015Pursuant to recently enacted legislation, filing deadlines for federal partnership information returns (Form 1065), S corporation information returns (Form 1120S) and C corporation income tax returns (Form 1120) have been changed.
- 2/4/2010
- 9/10/2008
- 1/15/2007