James W. Forsyth

Member

Pittsburgh

(412) 620-6529

(412) 275-2390

Recent News:

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Jim primarily works with business and corporate tax matters and the taxation of pass-through entities. He represents publicly and privately held enterprises in analyzing the federal, state, and local income tax consequences of corporate transactions, including corporate reorganizations, divisions, debt restructurings, joint ventures, and other business transactions.

Jim devotes a significant amount of his practice to resolving taxpayer disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. He particularly enjoys working with business clients to develop the practical solutions that will help them achieve their financial and operational goals.

Jim has garnered an AV® Preeminent distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence from Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings. He has been recognized in Pittsburgh's Top Rated Lawyers (2012-2023 editions) for Business, Corporate, and Taxation law by The Legal Intelligencer. Jim has also been included in The Best Lawyers in America® list each year since 2017. He was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2020 and 2023 by The Best Lawyers in America® for Tax Law in Pittsburgh. Only one lawyer in each practice and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on voting conducted by The Best Lawyers in America®.

Jim is the author of BNA Tax Management Portfolio 765-4th "Stock Rights and Stock Dividends - Sections 305 and 306." BNA Tax Management Portfolios are often cited in federal tax cases as containing the most persuasive thinking on cutting-edge topics. This portfolio analyzes potential tax problems that could arise in connection with dividend distributions of common or preferred stock and stock rights. It provides a framework for analysis of the tax treatment of such distributions by analyzing the issues regarding when a distribution will be taxable; what factors must be considered in determining whether stock is common or preferred stock; when a distribution of preferred stock will be subject to taint under § 306; and the basis and holding period issues surrounding stock distributions. Jim is also co-author of the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2020 Guidebook to Pennsylvania Taxes published by CCH. 

Jim earned his bachelor’s degree from West Liberty State College. Jim earned his law degree from West Virginia University and was Order of the Coif. Jim went on to earn his LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Cozen O’Connor Represents Albaron Partners in First Private Equity Exit in U.S. Podiatry

January 09, 2024

PHILADELPHIA, January 9, 2024 — Cozen O’Connor advised Albaron Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on founder-led health care companies, in its sale of Albaron Podiatry Holdings LLC d/b/a Beyond Podiatry, a leader in the management of podiatric medicine in the Midwest, to CUC Inc. The deal represents the first private equity exit in U.S. podiatry history.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Six Cozen O’Connor Lawyers Named 2023 “Lawyers of the Year” by Best Lawyers

August 22, 2022

Geoffrey Ferrer, James Forsyth, J. Bruce Maffeo, Suzanne Mayes, Jason Shargel, and Anna Wermuth received the highest annual ratings from their peers.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Cozen O’Connor Advises United Hydrogen Group, Inc. in Sale to Plug Power, Inc.

June 24, 2020

United Hydrogen is one of the largest privately held merchant hydrogen producers in North America. The company operates a manufacturing plant in southeast Tennessee with a capacity to produce 6.4 tons of liquid hydrogen daily, with plans to expand to 10 tons per day.

Publications

Summary and Analysis of Key Provisions of the CARES Act

March 28, 2020

Members of Cozen O'Connor's Coronavirus Task Force provide analysis of the CARES Act and how it will impact small businesses, distressed industries, employers and employees, taxes, and the health care, real estates, and energy industries.

Education

  • West Virginia University, J.D., 1986
  • University of Florida, LL.M., 1989
  • West Liberty State College, B.S., 1983

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America, 2017-2025

Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year - Tax, 2020, 2023

AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell

Pittsburgh's Top Rated Lawyers for Business

The Legal Intelligencer, Corporate and Taxation Law

  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Tax Court

Bloomberg BNA Corporate Taxation Advisory Board, Member

Bloomberg BNA Real Estate Advisory Board, Member

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Member

American Bar Association Section of International Law, Tax Section

West Virginia Society for Certified Public Accountants, Member

West Virginia University College of Law, Past Adjunct Professor 

West Virginia University Foundation Planned Giving Advisory Committee, Pittsburgh