Economic Development

Our historical knowledge and experience have played an instrumental role in the development of projects throughout the region.

KEAN MILLER, YOUR COUNSEL

Kean Miller has extensive regional experience in the economic development arena. Our Economic Development project team is comprised of attorneys from a variety of disciplines including governmental affairs and lobbying, state and local tax incentives, economic development incentives, business and corporate, labor and employment, real estate, construction, utilities regulation, environmental regulation, and permitting and compliance. Kean Miller has played an instrumental role in the successful development of some of the largest and most noteworthy projects in the area.

We have specific experience in many of Louisiana’s most innovative and creative economic development and tax incentives, including: the Manufacturing Machinery & Equipment Sales Tax Exclusion (La. R.S. 47:301); Industrial Tax Exemptions (La. Const. art. VII, § 21); the Enterprise Zone Program (La. R.S. 47:1781 et seq.); the Quality Jobs Act Program (La. R.S. 51:2451 et seq.); the Tax Equalization Program (La. R.S. 47:3201 et seq.); the Industry Assistance Program (La. R.S. 47:4301 et seq.); Inventory Tax Credits (La. R.S. 47:6006); the Corporate Franchise Tax on Debt (La. R.S. 47:601 et seq.); Pollution Control Sales Tax Exclusions (La. R.S. 47:301); and Recycling Tax Credits (La. R.S. 47:6005).

Representative Experience
  • Project local counsel for a $10 billion Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export terminal. Kean Miller represented the owner in the transaction as Louisiana real estate counsel, Louisiana energy regulatory counsel, and Louisiana and federal environmental counsel.
  • Successfully obtained Title V, PSD, and LPDES permits for a $4 billion ethylene cracking and derivatives complex and an adjacent gas-to liquids complex. Kean Miller represented the owner as Louisiana real estate counsel, Louisiana and federal environmental counsel, Louisiana tax and environmental incentives counsel, Louisiana energy regulatory counsel, and Louisiana construction law counsel. Kean Miller acted as counsel representing the client in connection with financing of the ethylene/derivatives complex.
  • Representation of a biofuels company with regard to economic development incentives, industrial real estate acquisitions, corporate documentation, environmental permitting, and governmental agency relations. Representation of a "green fuel" concern in connection with the development of an ethanol production facility in that will produce over 100 million gallons of ethanol per year. The company produces ethanol from sugar cane and sweet sorghum crops and has three facilities.
  • Representation of an international manufacturer with regard to complex industrial real estate matters and energy supply agreements in connection with a proposed development in Louisiana.
  • Representation of the United States’ leading operator of rice hull combustion power plants, which utilize an environmentally-friendly biomass waste product, rice hulls, to produce energy.
  • Representation of an ethanol development company pursuing the construction of over a 100 MMGPY facility in in the areas of energy and contract negotiation.
  • Representation of two separate pet-coke gasification projects (one for chemical production and one for syngas production) with respect to environmental permitting, CO2 marketing for EOR, pipeline regulatory, environmental impact analysis, and assistance with other aspects of project financing and development.
  • Project counsel to a Fortune 500 company in connection with cooperative endeavor agreements with the State of Louisiana for the development of a new facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana that will manufacture and distribute industrial parts for the nuclear energy industry.
  • Project counsel to a major chemical company in connection with the conversion of a facility to mercury-free chlor-alkali process in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Our Economic Development team negotiated pollution control sales tax relief for major process changes.
  • Representation of the economic development arm of a major Louisiana city in connection with corporation income and franchise tax changes to stimulate the development of corporate headquarters in Louisiana.
  • Representation of a global soft drink bottling company in connection with construction of its new Baton Rouge bottling and distribution facility and sale of its former bottling facility.
  • Lobbying and active involvement in drafting, modifications, and re-enactments of the Louisiana Motion Picture Incentive Act.
  • Representation of a movie and television association as legislative counsel. The association serves as the voice and advocate of the Louisiana motion, television, and video industry.
  • Representation of a motion picture industry client as legislative/governmental counsel and tax incentives consultant. The company is the only computer-controlled precision wave-making facility designed for and dedicated to the making of motion pictures in the United States.
  • Lobbied and assisted with the passage of legislation enacting the Louisiana Digital Media Act designed to encourage development in Louisiana of a strong capital base for the production of digital interactive media.
  • Negotiated complex Quality Jobs Act issues with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for a major manufacturer.
  • Successfully worked to expedite the Manufacturing Machinery & Equipment Sales Tax Exclusion for a global manufacturer.
  • Drafted legislation and lobbied for changes to the Tax Equalization Program to provide for additional renewals.