Overview
With extensive experience, technical skills, and close connectivity to decision-makers, our group represents clients across the U.S. Our clients have individually and collectively received billions of dollars in economic development incentives and benefits for job creation and investment. We offer decades of experience that allows us to take swift action and provide meaningful results.
The Economic Development & Incentives team is comprised of attorneys, CPAs, lobbyists, public affairs professionals, and paralegals who represent a diverse range of the firm’s capability areas. While distinctly different in experience, every team member shares a commitment and ability to actively assist clients and site selection consultants achieve their business goals and project needs. Our guiding objective is to add value for our clients and partners, not only by meeting their deadlines, but also by bringing our experience and connections to bear on their particular matters, meeting and often exceeding their expectations. Our full service law firm is able to offer guidance on a multitude of matters that may arise for a project, from evaluating and advising on environmental matters impacting a site to contract review to structing the receipt of incentives in tax advantaged manner to helping foreign companies navigate immigration matters - we work together to comprise cohesive and complete services for our clients.
Industries We Serve
Our work has included obtaining incentives for a wide range of project sizes across a large variety of industries, including broker-dealers; data centers; distribution centers; fabrication facilities; regional, North American and international headquarters; healthcare IT firms; light and heavy industrial mills; insurance, manufacturers of all types including appliance, auto, battery, equipment, equipment parts, pharmaceutical and steel; material science companies; mortgage brokers; power plants; professional sports teams; national and international retailers; R&D complexes; services, specialty chemical companies; speculative real estate development; and technology centers.
Knowledge of the Process
Over the past four decades, our team has established relationships with government representatives and public-private partners at all levels and has developed extensive experience securing , regional, state, utility, county, city, and town level-incentives for clients in the numerous states in which we have worked. These relationships have provided us with the knowledge and ability to obtain both well-known and less conspicuous incentives for our clients – we know who, what and how to ask, ensuring all possibilities are examined and incentive benefits are maximized as the incentive packages are compiled.
We have drafted proposed economic development legislation, provided testimony in support of such legislation, and worked with legislative committees to facilitate passage–creating new incentive opportunities or expanding eligibility for current incentives to our clients. Further, our understanding of the process has allowed us to collaborate with awarding entities to create tax-advantaged structuring solutions for our clients.
Negotiation and Approval
The team adeptly prepares incentive estimates, negotiates with incentive awarding representatives, and drafts incentive agreements to memorialize negotiations. We meet with state and local commissions, agencies, and development directors to advocate for our clients at state and local incentive approval meetings.
Incentive Compliance
We enable clients to realize the incentives negotiated by facilitating and supporting clients’ compliance with incentive requirements. We employ a qualified staff that has compliance knowledge and has built seasoned relationships with various state and local compliance officers. In certain instances, we have negotiated amendments to incentive packages, as the clients’ needs changed due to economic forces and business restructurings.
Site Selection, Diligence & Acquisition
Our team engages with clients and clients’ partners to understand site needs and measure those needs against the merits of potential locations. Our real estate attorneys, in particular, frequently coordinate with all external parties involved, including engineers, surveyors, and local officials. We are equipped to advise clients on acquiring land and facilities, build-to-suit leases, sale-leaseback transactions, and operating leases. Our corporate attorneys are available to assist with simple contract review to major equipment purchase agreements and supplier agreements before a new or expanding facility becomes operational.
Environmental Permitting, Land Use & Zoning
Our environmental and land use and zoning attorneys provide advice and counsel and perform thorough due diligence on the land parcels involved in a location or expansion project. This enables our team to comprehensively identify current or future permitting and zoning needs and ultimately provides clients with greater peace of mind during the process. Several of our attorneys have worked for the EPA, Department of Justice, state environmental agencies and city planning departments. Their experience gives us added insight on how government agencies interpret applicable regulations.
In addition, many of our attorneys have engineering or scientific backgrounds and prior work experience that makes it easier for them to understand and provide practical advice regarding complex environmental issues.
Government Negotiation & Relations
Our economic development team includes decades of experience in government affairs with most of our governmental affairs group previously working in federal, state and local government before joining the firm, which experience may be strongly relied upon by a client in an expansion or relocation. Our registered lobbyists and communications professionals use a strategic approach to help clients reduce regulatory costs, build public consensus, defeat adverse legislation, and support favorable legislation, thus finding additional value and equity for the expansion or relocation of our clients’ operations. We make it our business to know the needs and sensitivities our clients face in initiating a sophisticated governmental affairs strategy for both existing businesses and new ventures.
