Skip to content

State & Local Tax

Experience Highlights

  • Houston Ship Channel area industrial clients in connection with the negotiation and approval by the Houston mayor and city council of industrial district agreements in lieu of annexation

  • A major non-profit hospital in litigation holding that the Texas sales tax exemption could be retroactively claimed for periods prior to issuance by the Internal Revenue Service of the federal tax exemption on which the sales tax exemption was based; the Court’s holding invalidated a comptroller’s administrative rule that prohibited retroactive operation of the sales tax exemption

  • Obtained dismissal within six months of filing in a case of first impression regarding the asserted imposition of city franchise fees against transmission pipelines, thereby defeating the city’s claim

  • A multinational oil company in obtaining the first tax abatement in Harris County involving leased office space and developing the prototype agreement for leased office tax abatements

  • A major electric utility in obtaining the first tax limitation in Texas for nuclear electric power generation facilities after previously representing the utility in connection with the drafting and passage of legislation extending the Texas Economic Development Act to nuclear electric power generating facilities

  • A major petrochemical company in obtaining tax abatement in connection with a refinery expansion program involving investment in excess of $750 million; during its ten-year term, the abatement will result in anticipated tax savings to the company in excess of $20 million

  • Successful resolution of litigation overturning the Texas Comptroller’s policy regarding the taxation of newspapers

  • Statewide coalition of professional service firms in connection with the extension of the Texas franchise tax to partnerships; also served as chair of coalition