Overview

John Bunge is a tax and private wealth services attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Bunge helps clients navigate the confluence of tax planning, business succession planning and estate planning, and seeks to find the most elegant solutions possible to reach their goals.

Mr. Bunge's wealth preservation experience includes income, gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax minimization, through the use of irrevocable trusts, sales and gifts to trusts, charitable-interest trusts and grantor-retained annuity trusts, among other sophisticated wealth planning strategies. He also advises families on the formation of investment entities, such as family limited partnerships and family LLCs.

Mr. Bunge helps clients reach their charitable goals, using charitable giving techniques to minimize income, estate and gift taxes, and advising clients on the formation and operation of tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations.

He also counsels families regarding the formation, structuring and operation of family offices and private trust companies.

Additionally, Mr. Bunge helps clients minimize income taxes through individual, partnership and corporate tax planning. He also has experience assisting taxpayers through IRS audits, appeals and U.S. Tax Court litigation.

Credentials

Education
  • The University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, LL.M., Taxation
  • University of Kentucky, B.S., Business Economics, summa cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Kentucky
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Tax Court
Memberships
  • Estate Planning Council of Middle Tennessee, Board Member, 2023
  • Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) Nashville Chapter, Launch Committee, 2023
  • Family Office Exchange (FOX), Thought Leaders Council, 2017-Present
  • Tennessee Bankers Association, Trust Law Drafting Committee, 2019-Present
  • Nashville Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • American Bar Association, Tax Section
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Nashville Trusts and Estates, Ones to Watch, 2025
  • Rising Star, Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine, 2023, 2024
  • Richard B. Stephens Award for Outstanding Student, University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2014

Publications

Speaking Engagements