Lecturer Bios
James Walther
James T. Walther, Esq., LL.M., serves as Vice President and General Counsel at Legal 1031 Exchange Services, LLC, where he advises the leadership team and plays a key role supporting business operations. As a valuable resource for Legal 1031’s clients and their advisors, he helps them navigate and structure complex tax-deferred exchanges.
James leads Legal 1031’s parking exchange program, specializing in reverse and improvement exchanges and other complex transactions. Before joining Legal 1031, he practiced law at a Philadelphia firm, focusing on real estate, employment law, and business law. His background also includes roles in real estate and finance, enhancing his expertise in transactional structuring.
James is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Tax Court. He holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law, and a B.A. in Political Science from Stony Brook University.
A frequent speaker on IRC §1031 tax-deferred exchanges and real estate taxation, James educates legal, accounting, real estate, and financial professionals through seminars and continuing education programs. He is a certified instructor for Real Estate Continuing Education and Continuing Legal Education in multiple states. Additionally, he authors industry articles and technical content on 1031 exchanges, real estate, and business taxation, and has been interviewed in national tax publications.
Todd R. Pajonas, Esq.
Todd R. Pajonas, Esq., President of Legal 1031 Exchange Services, Inc., is a member of the New York Bar. Todd
has been working in the real estate and title insurance industries since 1992. Prior to forming Legal 1031 Exchange
Services, Inc. Todd established the Northeast operations for two separate major national qualified intermediaries,
founded a national qualified intermediary which was later sold to an investor, and was counsel for two major
national title insurance underwriters. Todd focuses on IRC §1031 tax deferred exchanges and other tax deferral
strategies. He has received Martindale Hubbell’s prestigious AV rating.
In his position with Legal 1031 Exchange Services, Inc. Todd frequently lectures on IRC §1031 tax deferred
exchanges, structured installment sales, Deferred Sales Trusts (DST), cost segregation, title insurance, and other
real estate related topics. Todd has lectured extensively for various bar associations, CPA societies, Boards of
Realtors, Land Title Associations, and many other civic, real estate, tax, educational and financial organizations.
Todd was an instructor at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies where he taught
a class on IRC §1031 tax deferred exchanges. He has been quoted in numerous publications including The New
York Times, National Real Estate Investor, Small Business Review, Shopping Center Business Magazine, and
Registered Rep Magazine. In addition, Todd has been a guest of the Agent’s Corner radio show broadcast on
WDRC in Hartford, CT and Talk of the Town with Tom Hill on WATR in Waterbury, CT.
Todd is the author of various legal articles, including Tax Deferred Real Property Exchanges: Do Co-Ops Qualify?,
published in the New York Law Journal on August 9, 1999, Vesting and Finance Issues Related to Tax Deferred
Exchanges Under IRC §1031, published in the May 2000 issue of the West Real Estate Finance Journal, The
Benefits of a Tax Deferred Exchange, published in the September 2001 issue of Aviation Week’s A/C Flyer
International, Property Exchanges Defer Taxes, published in the New York Law Journal on November 26, 2001,
Reverse Tax Deferred Exchanges of Aircraft, published in the December 2001 issue of Aviation Week’s A/C Flyer
International, Why Tax Deferred Exchanges are Good For Your Clients, published in the New York Real Estate
Journal on December 31, 2001, Forming an Entity Which Allows Partners Separation While Minimizing Tax
Consequences, published in the New York Real Estate Journal on January 29, 2002, Qualified Intermediaries Aid in
§1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges - Providing Security, published in the New York Real Estate Journal on March 26,
2002, Taxing Complications: Sorting Out Tax-Deferred Exchanges for Tenants in Common, published in the New
York Law Journal on April 10, 2002, Minimizing NY Mortgage Recording Tax, published in the May 2002 issue of
the New York Real Estate Journal, Boilerplate Contract Language May Get You in Hot Water, published in the
August 19, 2002 issue of the New York Law Journal, Proper Planning Is Important for Deposits, Escrows, and
§1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges, published in the April, 2003 issues of the New York and New England Real Estate
Journals, IRS Favors New §1031 Tax-Deferral Avenue, published in the New York Law Journal on August 18,
2003, Reporting Primary Residence Sales - The IRS has modified requirements when §1031 exchanges and partial
rentals are involved, published in the New York Law Journal on March 12, 2007, Vacation Home Sales as §1031
Exchange - After ‘Moore’ ruling, holding primarily for personal use will nix eligibility, published in the New York
Law Journal on August 13, 2007, Vacation Home Exchanges Clarified - The unanticipated implications of Rev.
Proc. 2008-16 are broader, published in the New York Law Journal on June 23, 2008 and How Mortgage
Disclosure Improvement Act Has Changed Residential Closings, published in the New York Law Journal on
September 2, 2009.
Todd received his B.S. degree from Saint John’s University and his J.D. degree from Touro Law School. He is a
member of the New York State Bar Association.
