J. Aaron Nelson

Education

I graduated from The Citadel in May 2008, with a bachelor's degree in Business Management: Accounting. I attended law school at the Charleston School of Law and received my Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida in 2012.

Experience

After graduating from the University of Florida, I worked at Deloitte Tax, LLP for a short time before moving to Greenville, South Carolina to work for the firm of Merline & Meacham, P.A. At Merline & Meacham, I primarily practiced estate planning, probate administration, general business law (including corporate and LLC formation), and represented clients before the IRS and SCDOR in audit and collection matters. I continue to work at Merline & Meacham, P.A. as "of counsel."

Professional Memberships

I am a member of the American Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar Association, and the Hilton Head Island Bar Association, and serve as a Council Member of South Carolina Bar's Tax Law Section.

Publications and Professional Development

I have written in the fields of trust decanting and retirement planning, and spoken extensively on the topic of trust decanting and the modification of irrevocable trusts. Most recently, I've spoken at the 2017 South Carolina Bar Convention on the topic of deferred compensation beneficiary designations.

Personal Life

My wife and I met in law school and were married in 2011 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Our daughter was born in September of 2015. We have two English labrador retrievers, Ashley and Cooper. In my free time in the spring and summer I enjoy fishing, boating, and otherwise loving the May River. In the fall, I enjoy college football, particularly the Clemson Tigers.