J.E. White Jr.

Member

(O): 304.340.1302

(F): 304.340.1130

jewhite@jacksonkelly.com

PDF

J.E. White Jr.

Member

(O) : 304.340.1302

(F): 304.340.1130

jewhite@jacksonkelly.com

PDF

James E. “J.E.” White, Jr. is a Member practicing in the Business Law and Financial Services industry groups, focusing primarily on tax, estate planning, and trust and estate administration. He practices out of the Firm’s office in Charleston, West Virginia.

Bio

J.E. has a broad-based business and tax background, and he provides representation to a variety of closely-held businesses, from succession planning, transactions, operations, tax issues, and wealth planning for their owners. In addition, he assists individual clients on all aspects of estate planning, including more complicated planning such as a variety of irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, family foundations, and charitable planning. J.E. also has extensive experience in estate administration, trust administration, estate and trust litigation, federal and state taxation, and business formations and operations.

J.E. is an active member of the Probate Committee of the West Virginia State Bar and is a frequent speaker on estate planning and estate administration topics.

Education

New York University School of Law (LL.M. in Taxation, 1994)
West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., Order of the Coif, 1993)
Thomas E. Chambers Tax Award
Baylor University (B.B.A. in Finance, 1986)

Admissions

West Virginia (1994)
U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia (1994)

Work History

Jackson Kelly PLLC (2018-Present)
Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP (2013-2018)
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP (2004-2013)
Law Office of J.E. White (2002-2004)
Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love (1997-2002)
Goodwin & Goodwin (1994-1997)

Professional Organizations

West Virginia State Bar
- Probate Committee
- State and Federal Taxation Committee
American Bar Association
- Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
- Business Law Section
Charleston Estate Planning Council, Board of Directors, President
Huntington Estate Planning Council, Board of Directors, Secretary
Charleston Area Tax Group

Community

Elk River Musky Club, Inc., Board of Directors

Awards

Named The Best Lawyers® Charleston, WV “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Law (2024)
The Best Lawyers in America© for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates (2013-2027)
Peer review AV Rated in Martindale-Hubbell
Ranked in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Tax Law (2026)

Speaking Engagements & Publications

Speaking Engagements

“Handling the Business in the Estate,” The WV Bar Association, Estate Planning Institute, Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, Charleston, WV (September 21, 2023)
“Small Business Planning Issues,” Financial and Estate Planning Seminar, WV Bankers, WV Society of CPAs, and the WV State Bar-Probate Committee (May 18, 2023)
“Estate Planning in the Current Environment,” WV Bankers, WV Society of CPAs, and WV State Bar Probate Law Committee, 2022 Annual Financial & Estate Planning Conference, Edgewood Country Club, Charleston, West Virginia (May 19, 2022)
“Drafting for the Uncertainty of Taxation,” The West Virginia Bar Association Second Annual West Virginia Estate Planning Institute, Charleston Marriott Town Center, Charleston, West Virginia (Feb. 3, 2022)
“What are the Biden Administration’s Tax and Estate Proposals Going to do to Traditional Planning?,” West Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants Annual Meeting, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (June 16, 2021)
“Discretionary Trust Distributions,” WV Bankers Association Seminar (May 2017)
“Portability Planning for Modest Sized Estates,” WVU College of Law Estate Planning CLE (Dec. 2016)\
“Portability Planning for Modest Sized Estates,” WVCLE Seminar at CAMC (July 2016)
“The Impact of Portability on Modest Sized Estates and Estate Planning,” WVU College of Law Estate Planning CLE (Oct. 2014)

Publications

“Portability and Estate Planning,” The West Virginia Lawyer (Jan.-March 2015)
“What You Need to Know About the 2010 Tax Relief Act,” BNA Daily Tax Report (April 28, 2011)
“The Executor — An Estate’s Representative,” The State Journal (Oct. 15, 2010)
“Succession Planning — How to Effectively Pass the Torch,” The State Journal (March 15, 2010)