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Experience
Tax Counsel to Global Food Service and Uniform Supplier
Counsel to global food service and uniform supplier for research tax credit management and IRS representation resulting in more than $20MM in tax refunds and annual tax benefits.
Property Tax Disputes
Lead or co-counsel in several property tax disputes in the Michigan Tax Tribunal and appellate courts involving disputes with tax dollars at issue ranging from $10,000 to over $40MM.
Tax Planning for Mergers & Acquisitions Transactions
Represented numerous private entities in tax planning for domestic and international M&A transactions.
Counsel for Acquisitions in Chicago Opportunity Zones
Counsel to regional developer in acquisition, development, and financing of multiple mixed-use buildings in Chicago Opportunity Zones.
$7.5MM Settlement for TIFA
Represented a Tax Increment Finance Authority entity ("TIFA") where we obtained a $7.5MM settlement in a complex litigation matter were TIFA alleged that 25 years of payments made pursuant to a signed agreement should be returned as they were made without authority under the alleged contract.
Case of First Impression – Statutory Interpretation Involving Personal Residence Exemption
Lead attorney and successful in a case of first impression in the Michigan Court of Appeals that involved a challenge to the Michigan Treasury's long-standing interpretation of a statute requiring the Treasury to exercise discretion in waiving penalties and interest when a written request to rescind a Personal Residence Exemption is made, but not acted upon by the local assessor. Denton v. Dep't. of Treasury, 317 Mich. App. 303, 894 N.W.2d 694 (2016)
Redevelopment Agreement Not Violated
Successfully resolved a breach of contract and fraud case brought by an Illinois municipality against our client, a nationally known manufacturer. The municipality asserted that the client's successful property tax protests had violated a redevelopment agreement the parties had entered into in connection with the municipality's creation of a Tax Increment Financing District encompassing the client's manufacturing facility.
Representation of Agricultural Cooperative
Successfully represented a local member agricultural cooperative in a corporate governance/membership dispute with a large regional agricultural supply cooperative operating in more than 40 states and Ontario, Canada.
Successful Defense of Private Utility
Defended a private utility company before the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court in a high stakes tax valuation dispute, obtaining favorable decisions from the appellate courts.
Property Tax Savings and Refund Awarded
Represented a large natural-gas-fired combined-cycle electric generating plant in a multimillion-dollar property tax appeal concerning the complex subject matter of power plant valuation. After extensive discovery and a full trial (affirmed on appeal), we obtained a judgment for our client resulting in the lowering of the property assessment by over $200MM. In addition to a multimillion-dollar tax refund to our client, the judgment resulted in millions of dollars in tax savings not only in the tax years under appeal, but also in subsequent years.