Overview
Our group has worked successfully on behalf of clients in 36 states across the U.S. including, but not limited to, the Carolinas, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. We have obtained some of the largest incentive packages that several Southeastern states have ever offered.
The Economic Development & Incentives group is comprised of attorneys, CPAs, lobbyists, public affairs professionals, and paralegals who represent a diverse range of the firm’s capability areas. The depth and breadth of our group enables us to offer valuable insight. While distinctly different in experience, every group member does share a commitment and ability to actively listen when clients and site selection consultants share their business goals and project needs. Our guiding objective is to add value for our clients, not only by meeting their deadlines, but also by bringing our experience and energy to bear on their particular matters, meeting and often exceeding their expectations. Our public affairs, taxation, lobbying, environmental, real estate, and corporate professionals work together to comprise a cohesive and complete combination for our clients.
Incentives
Our work has included obtaining incentives for broker-dealers, cable manufacturers; data centers; power plants; regional, North American and international headquarters; auto part manufacturers; compact construction equipment manufacturers; appliance manufacturers; pharmaceutical manufacturers; professional sports teams, steel manufacturers; industrial mills; national and international retailers; healthcare IT firms; material science companies; specialty chemical companies, distribution centers; and mortgage brokers.
Knowledge of the Process
Over the past three decades, the group has established relationships with government representatives and has developed extensive experience securing state, regional, county, city, and town level-incentives for clients in numerous of states. These relationships have provided us with the knowledge and opportunity 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.
Our group has successfully collaborated with departments and cabinets of commerce, revenue, economic development, counties, local municipalities, industrial development boards, port authorities, utility companies, and regional partnerships to achieve competitive incentive packages for our clients’ needs. 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.
Capabilities & Services
The group adeptly prepares incentive estimates, negotiates with governmental representatives, and drafts incentive agreements to memorialize negotiations. We meet with state and local commissions, agencies, and development directors and advocate for our clients and their incentive packages at state and local 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 & Acquisition
Our group partners with clients to understand their 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; each and every site need is considered and provided for accordingly. 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 major equipment purchase agreements and supplier agreements before a new or expanding facility becomes operational.
Environmental Permitting
Our environmental attorneys provide advice and counsel and perform thorough due diligence on the land parcels involved in a location or expansion project. This enables our group to comprehensively identify current or future permitting needs and ultimately provides clients with greater peace of mind during the relocation or expansion process. Several of our attorneys have worked for the EPA, Department of Justice, or state environmental agencies. Their experience gives us added insight on how government agencies interpret environmental 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 group includes proficiency in government affairs, which 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.
Our ultimate goal in this capacity is to protect and bolster our clients’ operations or objectives on the federal, state and local level through direct advocacy and legislative monitoring. 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.
Branding
We understand the full weight of public perception—particularly in the case of corporate relocation and growth. We have the experience, sophistication, and ability to proactively develop clients’ “brand” in a new territory. Misinformation can spread quickly and throw any project off course; however, we are adept at re-framing the issues and developing companies’ branding campaigns.
