Mrs. Echols is an attorney with Blue Williams, LLC in the Mandeville office. Blue Williams, LLC currently has offices in New Orleans, Metairie, Mandeville and Houston, Texas. She is an experienced Board Certified Tax Law Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. Her practice consists of estate planning (wills and trusts), successions, business transactions and litigation, business succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, fiduciary litigation (executor, administrator, trustee, shareholder/officer/director litigation), as well as taxation for non-profits and federal, state and local tax issues and litigation.

Mrs. Echols received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a double major in Accounting and Finance from Loyola University of New Orleans in 1994, cum laude.  She was awarded the degrees of Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Loyola University of New Orleans and the School of Law in 1998.  She was awarded the degree of Masters in Tax Law (LL.M in Taxation) from the University of Florida School of Law in 1999.

Mrs. Echols focuses on estate planning (wills and trusts), successions, business transactions and litigation, business succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, fiduciary litigation (executor, administrator, trustee, shareholder/officer/director litigation), as well as taxation for non-profits and federal, state and local tax issues and litigation.  She draws from twenty-two (22) years of experience as she provides advice to fiduciaries, business owners and individuals.  She acts as general counsel to many companies, providing various services which include choice of entity, entity formation documents, operating agreements, bylaws, buy-sell agreements, non-competition agreements, leases, stock and asset purchase agreements, employment contracts, minutes of meetings, resolutions, and other various contracts and documents.  Mrs. Echols also provides dispute resolution and litigation services in contested succession matters, trust matters and business matters.  Mrs. Echols’ tax background gives her a unique insight regarding succession planning of individuals and businesses.  She also has been very successful in assisting businesses and individuals with tax planning strategies and securing the appropriate tax-exempt status, when warranted, with the Internal Revenue Service.  Mrs. Echols has assisted numerous individuals and business taxpayers with resolving their Internal Revenue Service and state tax matters by effectively abating penalties, using the collection statute expiration dates, Offers in Compromise, innocent spousal relief and installment plans.  Mrs. Echols was born and raised in St. Tammany Parish.  She is a founding member and has served on the Board of Professional Woman of St. Tammany.  She has also served on the Boards of Hope House, Covington Three Rivers Art Festival and the Catholic Community Foundation for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Exclusive Featured Attorney Representing Mandeville – Premier Tax Lawyers 2022
• Board Certified Tax Law Specialist – Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization since 2000
• Louisiana State Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award 2014
• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services North Shore Pro Bono Project Award 2012
• The National Association of Professional Women Woman of the Year 2012/2013
• Selected to Rising Stars in 2012
• Selected to Super Lawyers 2018, 2019 and 2020

BARS, COURTS, AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Mrs. Echols is admitted to practice in all state courts in Louisiana and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States Tax Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims.  She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Northshore Estate Planning Council, the 22^nd JDC Bar Association.

Blue Williams

In 1982, former U.S. Attorney George Blue, Sr. and C.T. Williams, Jr. founded Blue Williams, LLC

Founded in Metairie, Louisiana, Blue Williams has additional offices in New Orleans, Mandeville and Houston, Texas. Although we primarily serve Louisiana, we also provide services to the entire Gulf South region and across the nation.

Since 1982, Blue Williams has built and maintained an exceptional litigation practice and a successful record of defending our clients in a wide variety of legal disputes.

Our clients range from individual taxpayers and small business owners to large corporations and complex family-held entities. We work in partnership with our clients to achieve their personal and business goals by developing innovative strategies to maximize tax benefits while minimizing potential risks.  We also provide exceptional representation in tax controversies and litigation.  Our highly regarded attorneys hold advanced degrees and certifications, including Masters in Tax Law (LL.M in Taxation) and board certifications in tax law and estate planning certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization.

Our team approach brings efficiency to the process, while ensuring that important tax implications are never overlooked. Working with Certified Public Accountants we routinely assist CPAs with IRS audit advice or support. We can provide support to CPAs in various ways from taking the lead in IRS examinations to providing legal analysis of discrete issues.  We also work with our client’s financial planners and advisors to make certain that all plans are structured correctly and that all professionals agree and are on the same page to implement the plan successfully.

​We provide comprehensive services to clients that range from small, family-owned businesses to large companies in virtually every commercial sector.  With comprehensive knowledge of transactional tax issues, our attorneys guide business clients through every stage of development, from initial formation through mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, transfers, and expansion into new markets.  For businesses that are just getting started, we examine the tax advantages and disadvantages of various entity structures, including corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, syndications and trusts.

In addition to crafting efficient structures for immediate transactions, we continually monitor changes in tax law to enable our clients to make smart decisions about the future. At every stage of development, our attorneys work to understand our clients’ goals and develop tax structures that work for their businesses.

When litigation of a tax issue is appropriate and required to resolve a tax issue, clients can rely on our attorneys to identify the benefits and risks of particular forums in which to litigate the tax case. We have represented clients before the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Federal District Courts, and U.S. Court of Federal Claims.  Our approach takes into account the needs of each client, utilizing strategies that offer the best opportunities for success while managing the litigation process to provide value and efficiency for the client, but most importantly a solution.  Our trial attorneys are known for advocacy, judgment, and responsiveness. Listening, understanding and believing in the goals of our clients are our guideposts in delivering results at the courthouse.