Ethan Vernon

Ethan Vernon is a partner at Asbury Gardner, where he practices in the areas of federal and state and local taxation, with a focus on tax controversy and litigation. He represents businesses and individuals through all stages of tax disputes, including audits, administrative appeals, and litigation in both state and federal forums.

Ethan advises clients on complex state and local tax matters across a range of industries including manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, and transportation. He handles audits and litigation involving income, sales and use, and property taxes. He also provides related advisory services, including apportionment and allocation analyses, nexus and taxability studies, residency audits, and voluntary disclosure agreements. Before joining Asbury Gardner, Ethan worked in KPMG’s state and local tax group advising multistate clients on audit defense and tax planning.

Ethan’s federal tax controversy practice includes representing taxpayers in IRS audits, administrative appeals, refund claims, and before the U.S. Tax Court. He regularly handles disputes involving charitable contributions, asset valuation, trust fund penalties, worker classification, excise and employment taxes, and complex partnership matters.

Recognized by his peers as a leader in tax law, Ethan has been named to Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2021-2025) and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (2021–2025) in Tax Law and Litigation and Controversy – Tax. He frequently presents for the Tax Executives Institute, American Bar Association Tax Section, Georgia Society of CPAs, and Strafford continuing education.

Ethan earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law and a Master of Taxation from Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business. While in law school, he represented clients in federal tax disputes as a student attorney in the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. He also holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.