

John Babcock | Partner
Corporate, Tax
Office: 370 Knollwood Street, Suite 600, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Phone: (336) 722-6993
Email: jbabcock@waldrepwall.com
LinkedIn | Download vCard
John has extensive experience in corporate and tax law matters, mergers and acquisitions and general business transactions, as well as commercial loan transactions where he represents both borrowers and lenders.
John represents clients regarding all aspects of entity formation, debt and private equity financing, corporate governance, shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and commercial business and loan transactions. He also devotes a significant portion of his time advising clients on a wide range of tax matters, focusing primarily on partnership and S corporation tax issues.
John has served as an adjunct professor of law at Wake Forest University Law School for many years, where he has taught courses in business planning, partnership taxation, and corporate taxation.
John graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1982, with distinction, with a bachelor of science in administration. He received his J.D. in 1985 from Wake Forest University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University in 1987.

Education
-
LL.M. Taxation 1987 New York University Law School
J.D. 1985 Wake Forest University School of Law; Magna Cum Laude
B.S.A. Finance 1982 University of Michigan-Dearborn; With Distinction

Bar Admissions
-
North Carolina, 1986

Professional Memberships
-
American Bar Association Member, Business Law Section
-
American Bar Association Member, LLC’s, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities Subcommittee

Civic Activities
-
Current Member - Board of Directors for Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company
-
Volunteer - served on Local Board of Managers for the William G. White YMCA
-
Executive Vice-President - North Carolina Youth Soccer Association, 2012-2015
-
Officer, Board Member, Coach - Twin City Youth Soccer Association; North Carolina Challenge Girls Coach of the Year, 2010

North Carolina Bar Association
-
Chair of the LLC’s, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities Subcommittee, Business Law Section; Past Secretary and Treasurer and two-time council member of the North Carolina Business Law Section
-
Member, Tax and Business Law Sections

Selected Publications and Presentations
-
“Texas Two Step Bankruptcies (Canon 7),” Plaintiffs Asbestos Litigation Seminar (PALS), May 10, 2023, Las Vegas, NV

Honors
-
Legal Elite®, as rated by Business North Carolina magazine, multiple years
-
Legal Elite® Top Rated Lawyer for Business Law, 2018
-
Legal Elite Hall of Fame, 2019
-
The Best Lawyers in America, since 2006
-
Best Lawyer®, Lawyer of the Year Corporate Law (2010, 2016)
-
Best Lawyer®, Lawyer of the Year Mergers and Acquisitions, 2017, 2019
-
Super Lawyers®, 2007-2017; 2019-present
-
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 rating in Martindale-Hubble




