Thomas P. Stone

Thomas P. Stone, a native of Detroit, Michigan, formed Stone & Associates in 2001.   Previously, he practiced law as a partner in a well-known Houston firm.

Tom earned his Bachelor of Accountancy in 1981 from Western Michigan University.  He received his Certified Public Account (CPA) license in 1983.  In 1987, he earned his law degree (Juris Doctorate) from South Texas College of Law.

Tom has 20 years of experience in estate planning and virtually all legal phases of the lifecycle of business organizations, including formation, operation, and dissolution.  He utilizes his expertise and experience to effectively advise clients as to the best form of business structure for protecting assets and minimizing income and estate taxes.  Additionally, he is an experienced trial attorney who represents clients in business lawsuits.  Tom assists the owners of closely held business in protecting the profits of their company from the Internal Revenue Service and plaintiffs of merit less lawsuits.

Tom frequently speaks at continuing education seminars for certified public accountants, certified financial planners, and licensed insurance agents.  His seminars focus on the topics related to estate planning, probate, and income taxation.

Practice Areas:

• Estate Planning
• Family Partnerships
• Probate, Estate, and Trust Administration
• Income Tax Planning
• Business Formation
• Business Reorganization
• Contracts
• Business and Corporate Law
• Corporate Taxation
• Partnership Taxation
• International Tax Transactions and Planning
• Business Litigation

Professional Licenses / Affiliations
Licensed Certified Public Accountant (1983 – Present)
Attorney at Law - Texas (1988 - Present)
United States Tax Court (1991 - Present)
Federal District Court – Southern District of Texas (1991 – Present)
Member Texas Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning
Member – Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants

Memberships & Organizations
Houston Bar Association, Estate Planning and Probate Section
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants
South Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Education
Juris Doctorate, South Texas College of Law (1987)
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Western Michigan University (1981)

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Jay V. Knighton, I I

Jay Knighton, a native of Corinth, Mississippi, joined Stone and Associates in February 2004. Jay earned his Bachelor of Accountancy in 1998 from The University of Mississippi. As one of the top 24 graduating students, he was awarded a Marcus Elvis Taylor Medal. In 2001, he earned his law degree (Juris Doctorate) from Tulane University School of Law. In 2002, he earned a Masters of Laws in Taxation (LL.M. in Taxation) from The University of Florida, one of the top tax programs in the country.

Jay actively participates in the greater Houston area community. He serves on the advisory council of the Young Professional Association for the South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce and is president-elect. Jay is also the captain of the Chamber softball team. In 2007, he ended his two year tenure as the President of the University of Mississippi Houston Alumni Association but remains active on the local Board of Directors for that organization. Jay frequently speaks at estate planning and probate seminars in the Houston area.

Practice Areas:

• Estate Planning
• Family Partnerships
• Probate, Estate, and Trust Administration
• Income Tax Planning
• Business Formation
• Business Reorganization
• Contracts
• Business and Corporate Law
• Corporate Taxation
• Partnership Taxation
• International Tax Transactions and Planning

Professional Licenses / Affiliations
State Bar of Texas (2003 – present)
State Bar of Georgia (2001 – present)

Memberships & Organizations
South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce

Education
LL.M. Taxation, University of Florida (2002)
Juris Doctorate, Tulane University (2001)
Bachelor of Accountancy, University of Mississippi (1998)

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Richard C. James

Richard James, a native of Corinth, Mississippi, joined Stone and Associates in August 2006. Previously, he practiced in Jacksonville, Florida at the largest law firm devoted to estate planning, tax, and business matters.

In 1999, Richard earned his Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi. As one of the top 24 graduating students, he was awarded a Marcus Elvis Taylor Medal. In 2000, he earned his Master of Taxation in Accountancy from The University of Mississippi. In 2003, he then earned his law degree (Juris Doctorate) from Tulane University School of Law where he served on The Tulane Law Review. In 2004, he earned his Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M. in Taxation) from The University of Florida in 2004 where he served on The Florida Tax Review. The University of Florida is considered one of the top tax programs in the country.

In 2000, Richard passed the Certified Public Accountancy Exam, earning the T. E. Lott Silver Medal for the second highest exam score in the state.

Practice Areas:

• Estate Planning
• Family Partnerships
• Probate, Estate, and Trust Administration
• Income Tax Planning
• Business Formation
• Business Reorganization
• Business and Corporate Law
• Corporate Taxation
• Partnership Taxation
• International Tax Transactions and Planning

Professional Licenses / Affiliations
State Bar of Texas (2003 – present)
State Bar of Florida (2004 – present)

Memberships & Organizations
South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce

Education
LL.M. Taxation, University of Florida (2004)
Juris Doctorate, Tulane University (2003)
Master of Taxation, University of Mississippi (2000)
Bachelor of Accountancy, University of Mississippi (1999)

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Brenton Stanfield

Brent Stanfield is a native of Omaha, Nebraska and joined Stone & Associates in September 2006 after finishing his last year of law school at the University of Houston as a visiting student. In 2003, he earned his Bachelor of Sciences in Economics from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 2006, he earned his law degree (Juris Doctorate) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he graduated cum laude.

Brent concentrates on civil litigation with an emphasis on business litigation, including, landlord-tenant disputes, breach of contract, fraud, DTPA, and personal injury litigation. Brent also handles a wide range of other legal matters from debt collection to tax disputes.

Brent and his wife, Jessica, attend Fellowship of the Woodlands where they lead a weekly bible study.

Practice Areas:

• Business Litigation
• Shareholder Disputes
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
• Breach of Contract
• Personal Injury

Professional Licenses / Affiliations
State Bar of Texas (2006 – present)
Federal Court – Texas Southern District (2007 – present)

Memberships & Organizations
Texas Young Lawyers Association
South Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Education
Juris Doctorate, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2006)
Bachelor of Science –Economics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (2003)

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