Government Incentives

Robinson+Cole's Government Incentives Group has years of experience in structuring, negotiating, and implementing economic development incentives for expanding and relocating businesses. Our team of corporate, tax, real estate, labor relations, employee benefits and compensation, and public finance lawyers work together with our lobbyists to customize incentives packages to suit major corporations' business strategies and capital investment plans. Our practice is capable of taking clients from the initial planning stage through comparison of incentives and documenting the deal.

The types of services provided by our lawyers and lobbyists range from multistate analysis and negotiation of nondiscretionary programs at the state and municipal level to large-scale development projects requiring targeted legislative changes. Within Robinson+Cole's Government Incentives Group, our corporate and tax lawyers carefully integrate financial incentives into our clients' business strategies. Our real estate lawyers focus on office and industrial projects, and our lobbyists coordinate and analyze packages of public incentives with our public finance attorneys.

    • Experience
      • Represented a publicly-traded UK software and information services group in the development of a plan to create a business presence in the United States to further its market penetration here, including the conduct of a comparative study of the business tax, regulatory and incentives environments in several targeted states.
      • Negotiated and designed a $10 million grant, loan and tax incentive package for retention of a publicly traded Internet auction company in connection with human resource and capital expenses for headquarters facility.
      • Successfully negotiated a comprehensive tax ruling for a multinational client relocating its headquarters from New York to Connecticut that enabled the company to replicate some of the beneficial aspects of New York corporate taxation of headquarters operations while providing additional Connecticut tax benefits of a type not available in New York.
      • Counseled several software companies in connection with financing obtained through the Massachusetts Capital Resource Company. The financing included the sale of subordinated notes with common stock purchase warrants to fund working capital requirements.
      • Represented a major U.S. paper company in its relocation, advising senior executives of the state tax implications of the relocation and helping to arrange financial credits and incentives to defray both their relocation costs and the fitting out of their new headquarters. Our lobbyists worked closely with the company's management to explain the incentive programs available and determine the best fit for their needs.
      • Negotiated job training grants and low-interest loans for retention of publicly traded Internet advertising agency in connection with headquarters build-out and infrastructure improvements.
      • Designed ESPN’s corporate income tax apportionment changes adopted in 1999 that permit broadcasters and their related production companies to assign their income on the basis of the location of the audience, thus achieving significant tax savings for qualifying broadcasters.
      • Represented relocating multinational entity in $7.2 million cash grant corporate incentive package made by Connecticut’s economic development agency. The transaction resulted in the transfer of a significant financial services firm to Connecticut. Also negotiated and documented subsequent restructuring of package due to changes in the company’s corporate structure.
      • Negotiating several corporate income tax rulings for companies relocating financial service operations that mitigate tax exposures or provide special benefits, including the mark-to-market of financial assets.
      • Representing numerous entities in connection with structuring tax-exempt bond financing and credit enhancements with industrial development agencies.
      • Representing a developer and general contractor in connection with the development and net leasing of 300 new family housing units constructed at a U.S. Air Force base utilizing governmental incentives and funded with Department of Air Force lease collateralized revenue bonds.
      • Prepared study on tax increment financing (TIF) laws nationwide on behalf of a national real estate professional association to assist its members in understanding how TIF might serve as an alternative for financing public infrastructure improvements.

      • Brought forth legislation permitting issuers of credit cards to use market-based apportionment.

        • State Tax Representation

      • Spearheaded legislation excepting customers of commercial printers from Connecticut nexus.

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