Overview
Jane Wells May focuses her practice on state and local tax matters. She represents businesses in connection with tax controversies at the audit, administrative and judicial levels around the United States. Her clients include companies in manufacturing, retailing, pharmaceuticals, financial services, agribusiness, food and beverage, health care, energy, technology and insurance industries. Jane has served on the Firm’s Management and Compensation Committees, on the Executive Committee and as the global head of the Firm’s Tax Practice.
Jane has successfully litigated state and local tax matters raising a variety of statutory and constitutional issues. She has defended numerous internet sellers in several states against cases brought under state whistleblower statutes, including the Illinois False Claims Act, alleging fraudulent failures to collect and remit use tax. Jane also advises business clients on tax planning matters and represents athletes and entertainers in connection with employment contract issues.
Jane is a co-founder of Tax in the City: A Woman’s Tax Roundtable®, which consists of women tax professionals with an interest in discussing substantive tax issues in a collegial and confidential setting, and which meets regularly in Chicago and New York.
While in law school, Jane was senior articles editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board.
Results
- Serves as national coordinating counsel to several Fortune 500 companies to provide strategic counsel and audit defense on all state and local tax matters across the country, including litigating in administrative and judicial venues when necessary
- Secured a complete concession prior to trial on a cost of performance apportionment income tax issue for a financial services company
- Won a transfer pricing case for a shared services entity in New York
- Regularly represents clients in multistate business income challenges, successfully resolving the issues in eight states
- Won and successfully settled several unitary business income tax cases in multiple states
- Represented large clients in Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) audits involving a dozen or more states raising income tax issues related to intercompany transactions and apportionment
- Obtained special legislation for manufacturer to broaden sales and use tax exemption for replacement parts and to include materials consumed in manufacturing process
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in America, Tax Law, Chicago, 2016-2025
- International Tax Review, World Tax, 2016-2025
- Chambers USA, Tax: Controversy, Band 2, 2008-2024
- Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer in US Taxes: Contentious, 2020-2024
- Thomson Reuters, Stand-out Lawyer – independently rated lawyers, 2025
- Law & Politics, Illinois Super Lawyer
Community
- Chicago Bar Association, State and Local Tax Committee
- State of Illinois, Director’s Advisory Group
Credentials
Education
Vanderbilt University Law School, JD, Order of the Coif, 1986
Wittenberg University, BA, with honors, 1980
Admissions
District of Columbia
Illinois
Courts/Agencies
Supreme Court of the United States
