Professionals

John W. Provo 
Partner

Phone: 612.672.8331
Fax: 612.642.8331
email: john.provo@maslon.com

John Provo is partner and head of Maslon's Intellectual Property and Technology Services Group. He counsels information-based and interactive technology companies with respect to the acquisition, sale, and licensing of creative works, trademark selection, registration, licensing and enforcement strategies.  John also has represented media and distribution companies in a broad range of transactions involving the distribution of intellectual property, software, and other creative properties outside the United States. 

John Provo is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 1994, John also advises business owners, executives and individuals with respect to estate planning, wealth preservation and succession planning strategies.

Areas of Practice
  • Business & Securities
  • Business Counseling
  • Agreements
  • Counseling
  • Intellectual Property Counseling
  • Copyright Services
  • E-Commerce Services
  • Licensing
  • Trademark and Brand Management
  • Estate Planning
  • Asset Protection Planning
  • Antenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Charitable Trusts and Foundations
  • Estate and Gift Tax Controversies
  • Estate and Gift Tax Planning
  • Guardianships and Conservatorships
  • Probate and Trust Administration
  • Probate Administration
  • Probate and Trust Litigation
  • Retirement Benefit Planning
  • Wills & Trusts
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Competitive Practices/Unfair Competition
Education
  • University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1983, J.D.
    Honors: Magna Cum Laude
    Law Journal: Member, Journal of Law and Inequality, 1982 - 1983
  • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 1980, B.A.
    Honors: Summa Cum Laude
    Honors: With Distinction
John Provo

Experience

  • Representation of majority owner of large Midwestern agri-business before the Internal Revenue Service Appeals Division, resulting in a favorable administrative decision reducing the IRS deficiency assessment by more than $350,000.
  • Representation of minority owners of a publicly traded life sciences company in a successful appeal. Client appealed an IRS gift tax assessment resulting from the gift of a minority equity stake to a family limited partnership incident to a recapitalization of the company's equity structure. After submission of the taxpayer's briefs, the IRS withdrew its deficiency assessment of more than $500,000.
  • Representation of second and third generation shareholders of a large Midwestern manufacturing company in administrative proceedings before the Internal Revenue Service. Successfully obtained a favorable private letter ruling with respect to the income, gift and generation-skipping tax consequences of trust litigation involving the proper construction and severance into separate shares of a multi-generational trust owning more than $300 million worth of the company's stock.

Extended Bio

Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP 612.672.8200
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90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-4140
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