Bradley A. Ridlehoover Partner

Brad serves as a trusted resource for clients facing complicated tax issues or a dispute with a taxing authority. Brad seeks to be a problem solver for his clients to assist in determining available options, making recommendations, and most importantly focusing on how a client can implement solutions to resolve a tax issue or dispute.

Over the past twelve years, Brad has spent significant time negotiating with government agencies (including the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Justice) through his federal tax controversy practice.  Brad has guided taxpayers at all stages of the tax dispute process from the administrative audit to trial.

Brad served as lead counsel representing a publicly-traded corporation in settling an 18-month Tax Court dispute resulting in savings of $130 million of proposed interest assessments in a change-of-accounting method dispute. Brad sat second chair in a four-day Tax Court trial involving a multimillion-dollar transferee liability dispute. Brad also has served as second chair litigation counsel for a publicly traded company in a one-day federal district court trial involving excise taxes with over $10 million in dispute. To avoid the time and expense of trial, Brad has also assisted numerous clients reach positive settlements of income, estate and gift, and international tax disputes during administrative proceedings and before the IRS Office of Appeals.

In addition to his controversy practice, Brad has lead teams conducting tax due diligence on multiple M&A transactions, including addressing the impact of federal and state tax liens.

Brad also advises tax-exempt organizations on federal tax and governance issues. Brad has significant experience advising non-profit organizations, including public charities, colleges and universities, private foundations, and charitable trusts, regarding tax matters, including self-dealing, private benefit, excess benefit transactions, excess business holdings, required minimum distributions, and unrelated business tax rules. 

Brad has an active pro bono practice including representing low-income taxpayers facing a Tax Court trial. He has helped more than 50 pro bono clients resolve their tax disputes. Brad also volunteers through the Richmond Bar Pro Bono Clearinghouse to provide pro bono representation to nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status and assistance resolving tax disputes.

Brad serves as the past president of the Board of Directors of the Community Tax Law Project, a low-income taxpayer clinic based in Richmond, Virginia. He also is the pro bono outside general counsel to Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), a Virginia nonprofit that offers supportive, expressive arts programs at no cost to service members, veterans and military families. ASAP is known for its Comedy Bootcamp program. 

Brad is a certified public accountant licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

  • New York University School of Law, LLM, Taxation, 2009
  • The College of William & Mary, JD, Staff Member, William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review, 2008
  • Presbyterian College, BA, BS Business Administration, Political Science with Honors, 2005

Member, American Bar Association

Member, Virginia Bar Association

Board Member, Community Tax Law Project

Board Member, iat4ss, 2015-2018

Board Member, Armed Services Arts Partnership, 2016-2017

  • Georgia
  • New York
  • Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, 2017-2020, 2023; Nonprofit/Charities Law, 2023, Woodward/White, Inc., 

Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” Not-for-profit: Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations, 2022

Named to "Pro Bono Service Honor Roll," Virginia Access to Justice Commission, 2022

Named to "Virginia Rising Stars," Tax, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2015-2019

Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year, Community Tax Law Project, 2010

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