attorney at law
Andrew Porter Wagner JD, LLM, MBA, CPA, CMI has enjoyed an esteemed legal career spanning over 30 years, specializing in the transportation and technology sectors and working with prestigious brands such as American Airlines and FedEx Corporation. Mr. Wagner’s success has been built upon high ethical standards. He has maintained a strong presence in his community and has always valued their efforts.
Mr. Wagner had already adopted an interest in the transportation and technology sectors with his early training and experience focused on becoming a qualified locomotive engineer. In 1977, he accepted his first role in the transportation field for the Santa Fe as a trackman based in Texas. In 1978, he moved on to Consolidated Rail Corporation where he became a qualified locomotive engineer in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Wagner’s academic career began at Bucknell University, where he achieved his bachelor’s degree in economics in 1978. Following on from this, he went on to attend the University of Wisconsin achieving his Master of Business Administration in finance in 1982. Keen to further his education, Mr. Wagner enrolled at the Southern Methodist University, graduating with his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1984. During this time, he was also honored with the title of Vice President of the Student Bar Association.
Mr. Wagner continued his studies at Southern Methodist University, attaining his Master of Law in taxation in 1990 while upholding his role at American Airlines as Tax Counsel. Mr. Wagner is also proud to have received a CMI tax designation from the Institute for Professionals in Taxation.
Upon completion of law school, he spent 14 years serving as the Senior Tax Counsel for American Airlines based in Texas. He then accepted a role with FedEx based in Tennessee where he spent the next 21 years, retiring proudly as the Vice President of Tax Law. Throughout his career, Mr. Wagner has had the opportunity to address and present tax affairs across all fifty US states, as well as a further 20 foreign countries. Mr. Wagner continues to hold a license with the Tennessee and Texas Bars, as well as CPA license in Tennessee and Texas.
Maintaining a keen interest in his field, Mr. Wagner has longstanding affiliations with the American Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tax Executives Institute, and the Institute of Professionals in Taxation. He is also a member of the governing board (IPT) where he served for 5 years and remains the current chair of the Outreach Committee.
As a key member of his community, Mr. Wagner has committed his time to serving and/or chairing boards including the Northwest Dallas County Flood Control District, the Coppell Texas Economic Development Commission, the Carrolton-Farmers Branch Education Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, the Shelby County Tennessee Education Foundation and the City of Germantown Tennessee’s Finance Advisory Board, the capital fundraising committee for the St. Jude’s FedEx family house and the advisory board for the Hartman Tax Forum (Vanderbilt).
Mr. Wagner is an accomplished co-author, with published works and articles including ‘Origin-Based Taxation of Internet Commerce’, State Tax Notes, July 19,1999 and ‘Guidelines for Establishing an Origin-Based Sales Tax, State Tax Notes, March 30, 2000. He has also been noted as a professional across state and local tax arenas, featuring in State Tax Notes, August 10, 2015.
After an incredibly successful career, Mr. Wagner is now enjoying his well-earned retirement. He loves spending quality time with his wife and two sons in Germantown, Tennessee.