One persistent challenge for real estate developers navigating local permitting laws is overcoming community opposition. Tune in as members of Brownstein’s Master Planned Community team talk through hurdles developers face when seeking local approval and how they can address community concerns to prevent or overcome opposition from the project’s fu…

Denver voters have a record breaking 26 measures on the ballot this year. A panel from the Downtown Denver Partnership, moderated by Brownstein Real Estate Co-Chair Blair Lichtenfels, discusses the ballot questions that could most significantly impact Denver’s downtown and economic competitiveness. Listen in to learn more about the issues Denver re…

In today's episode of Brownstein's Podcast Series on master-planned communities, Shareholder Greg Vallin talks to two industry experts—Brock Smethills, president of the Sterling Ranch Development Company, and Kyle Harris, senior vice president of community development and general manager for the Baseline project at McWhinney—about their projects’ s…

The 2024 election is upon us. Colorado’s ballots are in the mail and the Colorado Blue Book is already in voters’ hands. Join Brownstein’s Sarah Mercer, David Meschke and Rosa Baum as they dive into the labyrinth of 14 measures on the statewide ballot this year, seven referred by the legislature and seven brought by citizen initiatives, and their p…

It's no secret that attainable housing is becoming difficult to find. In this episode, members of Brownstein's Condominium and Planned Community practice talk through the complex tangle of legal and regulatory barriers facing the industry and consider solutions and innovative approaches to the problem.…

As part of their continuing podcast series looking into tax policy in 2025, Russ Sullivan and Rosemary Becchi dive into changes to 199-A regulations. Joined by former Sen. Mark Pryor, they discuss how this provision’s expiration could lead to material harm for small business and pass-through businesses across the country. They also cover methods co…

The Democratic Party convened in Chicago to officially nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The convention not only showcased a diverse array of speakers—including some from across the aisle—but also told the Democratic party’s story of America’s journey and its vision for the future. Our Washington, D.C. team who attended the DNC breaks down how t…

The 2024 election cycle has seen a lot of twists and turns. With so much uncertainty, our Tax Policy team invites bipartisan members of our Government Relations team to discuss how tax policy might look if either party sweeps the elections or if there is split control of government after November. Current cuts and credits that will affect individua…

The Republican party held their convention to nominate Donald Trump for president of the United States from July 15 – 18. The Milwaukee-based event featured the publishing of a party platform, a plethora of speakers and the announcement of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as the vice presidential candidate. Now, two weeks later, the political world has shif…

As the dust settles, the results of the 2024 Colorado Legislative session will impact the real estate industry. Tune in for a panel discussion with Brownstein Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels, Sarah Mercer, Caitlin Quander and Kevin Walsh, who cover what passed and what the possible short- and long-term impacts will be.…

Summer is approaching and, right on time, the 2024 election is starting to heat up. Races for the House, Senate and the presidency are all kicking into gear as we reach the second half of primary season, and many campaigns are pivoting toward the general election. Today, Brownstein’s policy professionals will discuss if any party has an edge going …

On May 16, the Department of Justice proposed regulations to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The rule would significantly loosen federal restrictions on cannabis, opening new opportunities to industry members, researchers and cannabis users. Still, major questions loom. Join Shareholders Melissa Kuipers Blake and …

Well-meaning businesses that utilize independent contractors face a host of challenges in today’s evolving legal landscape. Join Brownstein employment Shareholders Kayla Dreyer and Luke Glisan, and Associate Russell Kalvelage, for a fresh look at employee classification and learn the risks of misclassification in an increasingly hostile environment…

A pending loan maturity date can raise many issues, including hurdles with loan modification negotiations, the need for additional equity, and the potential for rescue or alternative capital as a loan exit strategy. Tune in for a discussion with industry and legal professionals on these topics and the current lending and refinancing market to learn…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has released new rules, through the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) (pronounced sa-brief-a) process, that would drastically change the landscape of credit reporting. The regulations would heavily restrict credit reporting agencies’ ability to use medical debt in determining…

‘Tis the season for office holiday parties! These events present a once-a-year opportunity to boost employee morale and reward workers for another great year, but they can also open employers to a number of litigation risks and liability headaches. Take a listen as employment shareholders Kayla Dreyer and Luke Glisan discuss the most important ques…

Colorado voters have a choice this November: trade relief from increasing property tax rates in exchange for smaller refunds for all taxpayers. If approved, Proposition HH would reduce assessed property valuations for the next 10 years and backfill lost revenues to local governments by allowing the state to retain more tax revenue from TABOR refund…

On Sept. 31, 2023, a collection of federal subsidies for childcare expired. The loss of this funding has sent state and local governments, along with operators and patrons of childcare businesses, scrambling for answers on how this will affect organizations focused on early childhood development. Today members of Brownstein and the Early Care & Edu…

When Biden announced moves last year to reform cannabis, most thought it was just virtue signaling. Then, late last month, the Department of Health and Human Services surprised the entire industry with a recommendation to reclassify cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 under the Controlled Substances Act. A few weeks later, the Congressional Rese…

Our 2023 Health Care Business Panel looked at the top threats and opportunities in health care right now. The panelists covered the business outlook and dealmaking recalibration that is taking place in the health care industry, the regulatory power of the Biden administration and how they are looking to change health care, as well as antitrust issu…

Brownstein’s Tax team discusses how to read the topography of the tax landscape as we come out of Congress’s summer recess and approach the final months of 2023. Bipartisan support for renewing or extending various tax provisions has shown promise for new legislation, yet there is little movement on Capitol Hill since the midterms. Our team talks t…

Tenants’ rights were certainly on the minds of Colorado lawmakers this legislative session. The state passed several bills that will significantly impact multifamily properties and how landlords can write their leases and interact with tenants. Tune in as Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel go over the new legislation covering everything from newly b…

Now that the smoke has cleared from the debt ceiling negotiations, what defense spending may look like heading into the next year has come into a clearer view. The $886 billion agreed to by House GOP leaders and the Biden administration represents a 3.3% increase over last year but has already drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. N…

With Denver’s municipal runoff over, the city finally has a new mayor-elect with Mike Johnston winning by a healthy margin. While the results in the mayor’s race may not be surprising, results in the City Council runoff elections saw one incumbent progressive edged out in favor of a more moderate candidate—leaving open questions about the political…

Taxpayers in Colorado got their property tax assessments on May 1, most with huge spikes in their new valuations. Take a listen as Zach Siegel talks with Justin Cohen about how the process works, the difference between residential and commercial property taxes and how taxpayers can appeal the skyrocketing values used to assess their property taxes.…

Denver is considering changes to its Expanding Housing Affordability ordinances that would extend deadlines for developers. Adopted in June 2022, the ordinances require both for-rent and for-sale projects with 10 or more multifamily units to either include affordable housing options or pay a fee in lieu and require commercial projects pay linkage f…

Since the 1980s, California has faced a worsening housing crisis as development continues to lag behind national averages and demand. Facing a tangle of obstacles from intensive zoning and environmental laws to high land cost and NIMBY resistance, California has to double its housing production to keep pace with demand. Tune in as Shareholder Chris…

Denver approved the International Building Code with some amendments in January 2023. For developers who relied on the city’s building code as it was written in 2019, this presents a dilemma. Which code applies to development projects in the middle of the approval process, and what changes are required to keep these projects moving? Tune in as shar…

Colorado’s governor rolled out an ambitious bill aiming to tackle the state’s growing housing crisis by limiting municipalities’ oversight of residential development in the state’s most populated cities. In a home-rule state, is a statewide housing shortage enough to override legal deference to municipalities’ ability to govern land within their bo…

With Denver election results still trickling in, real estate shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel recap where the tallies for mayor, city council and referred questions stand as of Thursday morning. Tune in as they detail what we know about the results, what we don’t and where we go from here.…

The Denver City Council is asking Denver voters to remove 100-year-old language from the City Charter related to the Board of Adjustment in an effort to modernize zoning exceptions and variances. Real Estate Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel bring in land use attorney Caitlin Quander to discuss Referred Question 2M—how it works, what w…

There’s a lot at stake in Denver’s municipal election on April 4. For the first time in 12 years Denver will have a new mayor and there will be a minimum of five new city council members. Real Estate Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel come together to get us up-to-date on the election, the inevitable runoff and the impact we’re seeing f…

Founded in 1958, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, is the nation’s largest transportation agency, overseeing all aspects of civil aviation. Due to the ever-changing needs of air travel, the association is required to reauthorize its authorities and spending on a regular basis. With current Congressional authorization ending on Sept. 30, …

We are at a critical and exciting juncture where multiple industries and interests are converging to rise to the challenges of ensuring a resilient and accessible water future. Brownstein and WestWater Research have teamed up to co-host the Sustainable Water Investment Summit March 9-10 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California to p…

Since the Great Depression, Congress has passed a farm bill every five years to fund projects from agricultural research to nutrition programs to rural development and more. This year, the bill poses a significant test to a divided government. In our conversation today, we will cover what we have seen in past farm bills, areas of possible bipartisa…

Although Environmental, Social and Governance—more commonly known as ESG—principles are often portrayed as a new trend, the concept has been around for decades and fundamentally is about ensuring long-term value. Listen as co-chairs of Brownstein’s ESG practice Jason Downs, Carrie Johnson and Rebecca Tucker talk about what ESG is and what it is not…

Nov. 8 has come and gone, but control of Congress is still up in the air. While the predicted “red wave” failed to materialize, Republicans may yet take control of both chambers from the Democrats. Policy Directors Will Dunham, Nadeam Elshami, Brian McGuire and Carmencita Whonder, representing experience from the four corners of Congressional leade…

From water infrastructure failures in Jackson, Mississippi, to a megadrought of historic proportions in California, water affordability is an emerging policy concern for an industry already facing huge challenges. Tune is as Brownstein’s Jessica Diaz speaks to industry experts Jennifer Capitolo and April Ballou about how the issue of water affordab…

With the 2022 midterms fast approaching, the heads of our Washington, D.C. Technology and Telecommunications group, Al Mottur and Greta Joynes, provide perspective, and banter, from both sides of the aisle on the upcoming elections, Senate and House leadership predictions, thoughts on what will happen in the lame duck and legislative priorities thr…

Brownstein's senior policy directors representing the four corners of congressional leadership join together for a discussion on the upcoming midterms. Nadeam Elshami, Carmencita Whonder, Brian McGuire and the Brownstein Policy team's newest member, Will Dunham, give their predictions for the results of the 2022 elections and dive into how these ch…

Among a batch of significant changes to Colorado’s employment laws passed this year, a major overhaul to the state’s noncompete and restrictive covenant laws take effect Aug. 10. The revisions significantly impact how employers protect information like trade secrets, expand coverage to restrictive covenants much more broadly and significant alter e…

With the rise of Big Tech and social media, privacy advocates have rung the alarm on how these large organizations treat their users’ data. Outside of a few lawmakers, this issue never gained traction on Capitol Hill or in the White House, until now. The introduction of the bipartisan American Privacy and Data Protection Act, as well as new regulat…

Another election year, another ballot cycle in Colorado. In this episode, Brownstein’s Sarah Mercer, David Meschke and Denver Donchez talk about the state’s ballot measure process and what voters can expect in this even-year election.Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

May 9 marked the start of the bicameral conference to negotiate the House-passed USICA and Senate-passed COMPETES Act—both designed to counter China’s growing global influence and improve U.S. competitiveness. Brownstein’s Government Relations team sits down to discuss this rarely used political practice, possible roadblocks, the timeline and the p…

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure. With state and local politics increasingly driving national outcomes, our state Government Relations team takes a deep dive into how these funds trickle down from federal coffers to state and local projects from coast to coa…

With President Biden’s policy plans largely stalled in Congress, we’re seeing the administration’s priorities materialize in the regulatory world. Our Government Relations team dissects one of most controversial rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission: the new regulations surrounding reporting of climate impacts by public companies…

The implementation of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents the largest infusion of infrastructure funds in a generation. With so much funding up for grabs, road bumps are to be expected. Our federal Government Relations team discusses what implementation of this historic bill looks like, what will get funde…

As gridlock on Capitol Hill continues, state and local politics become more and more relevant every election cycle. With 36 of 50 states holding gubernatorial elections this year, governors are largely shaping national policy on issues ranging from COVID mandates and crime to education policy and infrastructure repairs. Tune in as our State Governm…

Even as more states legalize cannabis, it is still federally prohibited despite attempts from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to pass industry-friendly legislation. In this panel discussion, Shareholder Melissa Kuipers Blake and Policy Directors Drew Littman and Brian Wild swap insights on the status of federal legislation including the SAFE Bankin…

Based in California, the White Buffalo Land Trust is a leader in an international regenerative agriculture movement. Shareholder Beth Collins joins its Founder and President Steve Finkel and Director of Land Stewardship Jesse Smith to discuss the acquisition of 1,000 acres on the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County and their plans to preserve hab…