John W. West III, Biography
John W. West III
Mr. West was awarded an AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review. The AV rating represents a Legal Ability Rating of Very High to Preeminent and an Ethical Standards Rating of Very High. Less than two percent of all of the attorneys in the country have obtained an AV rating.
John West is a Board Certified Tax Attorney. The Florida Bar has designated that a Board Certified attorney is a specialist who has obtained the highest level of competency and experience. The Board Certification in Tax includes federal and state tax issues involving income, estate, gift and other taxes. Less than 250 attorneys in the state of Florida are currently Board Certified in Tax law.
Mr. West was again recognized this year as a Top Lawyer (highest ranking) in Biz(941) magazine.
John West is also a Florida Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. West has extensive estate planning experience. Prior to forming his own law firm, Mr. West was a partner in a national AV rated tax and estate planning tax law firm. Mr. West is a native of Akron, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in accounting and obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Akron School of Law. He received his LL.M. in Taxation degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Mr. West is licensed to practice before all courts in the state of Florida, the United States Tax Court, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association and the Tax Section of the Florida Bar and the American Bar Associations. Mr. West is a frequent speaker on tax and estate planning issues at seminars hosted by brokerage firms, banks, insurance agencies and charities.
John West is a past member of The Planned Giving Advisory Committee of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. He is the past Chairman of the Pines of Sarasota Foundation and the past Chairman of the United Way Foundation's Planned Giving Advisory Council. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Van Wezel Foundation, The Diocese of Venice Stewardship & Development Committee, The Diocese of Venice Finance Advisory Board, the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida and the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida’s Planned Giving Advisory Council.
