State & Local
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October 22, 2024
How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status
For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.
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October 22, 2024
MVP: Jones Day's Charles 'Chuck' Hodges
Chuck Hodges, a tax partner with Jones Day, led a gravel company to victory in May at the U.S. Tax Court in a case regarding an $11.1 million sale of a freeway pit, helping him earn a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Tax MVPs.
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October 21, 2024
Madigan Part Of 'Corruption At The Highest Levels,' Jury Told
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his loyal right hand Michael McClain engaged in an eight-year "campaign of bribery," leveraging his public office and leadership roles to steer business to Madigan's property tax law firm, enrich his allies with do-nothing jobs and maintain his considerable political power, prosecutors told an Illinois federal jury Monday.
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October 21, 2024
SD Voters To Decide On Food Tax Exemption
South Dakota voters will have the chance Nov. 5 to decide whether the state exempts food from its 4.2% sales tax rate.
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October 21, 2024
MVP: Paul Weiss' Brian Krause
Brian Krause of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's tax practice designed a novel tax approach for the merger of World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship, raced to create a tax-free deal in the final days of a Texas "wildcatter" hoping to sell his oil company, and advised Chevron in its $60 billion acquisition of Hess Corp., earning him a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Tax MVPs.
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October 21, 2024
Neb. Receipts Sink $121M Through Sept. From Previous Year
Nebraska's total net receipts from July through September sank $121 million compared with the same period in the last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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October 21, 2024
Ariz. Revenues Through Sept. Beat Estimate By $108M
Arizona's total general fund revenue from July through September outpaced forecasts by $108 million, according to the state's Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
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October 21, 2024
NJ General Revenues Through Sept. Rise 4% From Last Year
New Jersey general revenue from July through September beat last year's collection by 4.3%, according to the state Department of the Treasury.
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October 21, 2024
New ABA Tax Chair-Elect Aims To Expand Leadership Paths
The new chair-elect of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation told Law360 that she wants to broaden the pathways to leadership for members, including those early in their careers, as part of the section's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Here, Megan Brackney shares more about her background and goals for the section.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 Will Track 2024 Ballot Measures On Real-Time Map
As citizens across the country weigh in on federal, state and local elections this November, Law360's 2024 ballot measure map will track election results for tax-related ballot measures in real time. Here, Law360 dives into what's on the ballots in Georgia, Nevada, Wyoming and Denver.
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October 18, 2024
Fla. Extends Dyed Fuel Penalty Waiver After Milton
Florida is extending its temporary waiver of penalties for businesses and individuals that use or sell dyed diesel fuel for on-highway use through Oct. 30 in response to Hurricane Milton, the state Department of Revenue said.
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October 18, 2024
San Francisco Tax Measures Could Mean Big Changes For Biz
San Francisco voters could significantly change the city's business climate next month if they approve two ballot measures, one that would overhaul the city's gross receipts tax and increase rates for larger businesses and another that would impose an annual additional graduated tax on ride-hailing companies. Here, Law360 takes a look at the two proposals.
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October 18, 2024
Ind. City Can't Levy Additional Property Tax For Shortfall
A city in Indiana cannot levy an additional property tax of nearly $1 million to make up for budget shortfalls because those shortfalls do not qualify for the granting of an excess levy, the Indiana Tax Court ruled.
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October 18, 2024
Minn. Tax Court Refuses Big Changes To Parking Lot's Value
The Minnesota Tax Court lowered the assessed value of a parking lot property by about $200,000 to $11.7 million, rejecting arguments for larger changes by the property owner and a county.
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October 18, 2024
Colo. Extends Tax Deadlines For Hurricane Victims
Colorado is delaying deadlines for state taxpayers impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton, Gov. Jared Polis and the state tax department said Friday.
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October 18, 2024
JetBlue Says Fla. Must Face Claims Against Airline Tax Rules
JetBlue urged a Florida state court to reject the state Department of Revenue's bid to dismiss the company's claims that Florida unconstitutionally taxed the airline's extraterritorial income, saying its case isn't analogous to a dispute from Frontier Airlines that a court dismissed.
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October 18, 2024
Mo. Commission Should Refund Interest, Telecom Co. Says
A Charter Communications entity that was granted a use tax refund of nearly $437,000 because it qualified as a manufacturer should also be granted repayment of the interest that accrued on the refunded taxes, the company told the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission.
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October 18, 2024
Fla. Delays Tax Deadlines In More Counties Due To Milton
Florida is extending tax due dates for businesses in seven additional counties affected by Hurricane Milton, the state Department of Revenue said, bringing the relief to a total of 24 of the state's 67 counties.
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October 18, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Baker, Simpson, Ropes
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Lundbeck inks a $2.6 billion cash deal for Longboard, Silver Lake agrees to buy Zuora for $1.7 billion, and PPG and American Industrial Partners reach a $550 million deal.
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October 18, 2024
Mass. Tax Dept. Floats Limits On Amnesty For Nonfilers
Massachusetts taxpayers seeking amnesty under a coming program would not be eligible for the program's three-year look-back limit for nonfilers if the state tax department had certain contacts with them, according to a draft notice on the program.
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October 17, 2024
Wash. Justices Say No Addresses Needed For Tax Ballot Items
Washington's secretary of state didn't need to check addresses when validating signatures for five voter initiatives slated for the November ballot, including measures to repeal the state's capital gains tax and to bar income taxes, the state Supreme Court said Thursday.
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October 17, 2024
Illinois Ballot Measure May Reinvigorate Graduated Tax Talks
An Illinois ballot measure that will gauge public interest in imposing a higher tax rate on millionaires to fund property tax relief appears primed to rekindle debates over whether the state's constitutional requirement for a flat income tax should be repealed.
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October 17, 2024
NY Hotel Biz Stuck With $15M Tax Bill After Deductions Denied
A corporation that refurbishes hotels in New York is liable for about $15 million in taxes, a state tribunal said in a decision released Thursday, affirming a ruling that the state's tax agency correctly denied deductions sought by the company.
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October 17, 2024
Mont. Tax Board Upholds Assessment On Storage Facility
The owner of a Montana commercial property used to house storage units was unable to lower its value because the state Tax Appeal Board gave more weight to the state Department of Revenue's valuation using an income analysis.
Expert Analysis
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Location, Location, Location: SALT In Review
From a possible replacing of Florida's property tax to Cincinnati's taxing of remote workers, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media
In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.
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A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise
After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.
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How 3 New Laws Change Calif. Nonprofits' Legal Landscape
Legislation that went into effect on Jan. 1 should be welcomed by California’s nonprofit organizations, which may now receive funding more quickly, rectify past noncompliance more easily and have greater access to the states’ security funding program, say Casey Williams and Brett Overby at Liebert Cassidy.
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SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap
As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.
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Thinking Big And Soaking The Rich: SALT In Review
From a bold and broad tax plan in Louisiana to proposed legislation targeting the well-to-do in Rhode Island and Michigan, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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High Court Case Could Reshape Local Development Fees
If last month's oral arguments are any indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, it's unlikely the justices will hold that the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests under the cases of Nollan, Dolan and Koontz apply to legislative exactions, but a sweeping decision would still be the natural progression in the line of cases giving property owners takings claims, says Phillip Babich at Reed Smith.
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Nebraska Should Abandon Proposed Digital Ad Tax
If passed, Nebraska’s recently proposed Advertising Services Tax Act, which would finance property tax relief by imposing a 7.5% gross revenue tax on advertising services, would cause a politically risky shift of tax burdens from landowners to local businesses and consumers, and would most certainly face litigation, say attorneys at McDermott.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.