Mike Baker

Mike Baker is a seasoned attorney based in Saint George, Utah, focusing on domestic tax matters and employee benefits and compensation. His clientele includes emerging companies, venture capital and private equity funds, as well as highly-compensated individuals. Mike is adept at advising on choice of entity, conversions between entity types, tax-free reorganizations, and taxable exit transactions. His expertise further extends to qualified small business stock, equity compensation, tax code Section 83(b) elections, phantom equity, deferred compensation, and tax code Sections 280G and 409A. Notably, he has participated in over 400 M&A transactions, including deals exceeding a billion dollars in consideration.

In addition to his transactional work, Mike provides guidance to executives on negotiating employment agreements, equity compensation, and separation packages. His academic contributions include teaching individual income tax and corporate tax at Utah Valley University from 2015 to 2016, and employee benefits and compensation law at the University of Colorado Law School from 2013 to 2014.

Before establishing Baker Tax Law, LLC, Mike amassed significant experience as a tax attorney in the Broomfield, Colorado office of Cooley LLP and as a compensation and benefits attorney in the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. His early career included an internship with the Internal Revenue Service, where he worked as an auditor in the small business and self-employed division.