State & Local
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July 24, 2025
Rising Star: McDermott's Michael Bruno
Michael Bruno of McDermott Will & Emery LLP was tapped as lead tax counsel by two legendary athletes — Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry — for the rollouts of their respective beverage brands, earning him recognition as one of the tax attorneys under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 24, 2025
MTC Restructures Some Atty Roles After Key Departures
The Multistate Tax Commission restructured some of its attorney positions to account for last year's departure of its general counsel and deputy executive director, the MTC's top official said Thursday.
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July 24, 2025
South Carolina Revenue Beats Estimate By $391M In FY 2025
South Carolina's general revenue collection from July through June beat forecasts by $391 million, according to the state Board of Economic Advisors.
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July 24, 2025
Pa. House Bill Seeks Sales, Biz Tax Breaks For Steelmakers
Pennsylvania would establish a sales and use tax exemption for steel products made in the state and provide tax credits for companies that invest in steel production facilities and meet certain job creation requirements under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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July 24, 2025
Minn. Liquor Retailer Challenges Indirect Audit At High Court
The Minnesota Tax Court was wrong to find that an indirect audit of a liquor retailer provided sufficient evidence of its sales tax liability, the business told the state Supreme Court in a petition seeking review of the case.
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July 24, 2025
NC Urges 4th Circ. Not To Block Vape Regs During Appeal
North Carolina officials are urging the Fourth Circuit to deny a bid by vape interests to block enforcement of a new state vaping regulation while they appeal their case, saying the plaintiffs have already tried, and failed, three times to show they deserve an injunction.
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July 23, 2025
Tax Guidance Still Vital Amid Waning Deference, Atty Says
A decline in judicial deference to state agencies' interpretations of statutes and regulations shouldn't dissuade state tax administrators from promulgating guidance on their tax laws, a Federation of Tax Administrators attorney said Wednesday.
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July 23, 2025
Fund Manager Drops Case Over NYC Tax ALJ Shortage
A New York fund manager that claimed in federal court that a shortage of administrative law judges in New York City's Tax Appeals Tribunal gave it no avenue for its assessment challenge has dropped the federal case.
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July 23, 2025
Ore. Tax Court Upholds Farm Value Over Owner's Claim
An Oregon farm owner failed to show that his property was overvalued by a local assessor, the state tax court said, rejecting the owner's argument that the assessor misclassified the soil on the land.
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July 23, 2025
NJ Power Broker Blasts AG's Bid To Revive RICO Case
Garden State power broker George E. Norcross IIIÂ on Wednesday urged a New Jersey appeals court to affirm the dismissal of the state's explosive racketeering indictment, arguing the trial court was right to toss the charges because there are no factual allegations in the indictment that amount to a crime.
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July 23, 2025
Rising Star: Freshfields' Joe Soltis
Joe Soltis of Freshfields LLP has advised companies on several multibillion-dollar transactions, including Cencora's $4.6 billion acquisition of Retina Consultants of America, earning him a spot among the tax law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 23, 2025
Oregon Gov. Calls Special Session For Transportation Funds
Oregon lawmakers will convene a special legislative session to address transportation funding needs, the governor said, as they did not approve a package in the regular session.
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July 23, 2025
Katten Welcomes Ex-Gibson Dunn Tax Pro In New York
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP announced on Tuesday that it has added a former Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP of counsel to its transactional tax planning practice, noting her extensive experience in the finance space.
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July 23, 2025
IRS Cuts May Hamper State Tax Enforcement, Officials Warn
Heads of state tax agencies warned Wednesday that recent cuts in IRS staffing may cause gaps in state-level tax enforcement, as agencies rely on information from the federal government to bolster auditing efforts.
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July 23, 2025
Pa. Trial Court Must Redo Properties' Valuations, Ruling Says
A Pennsylvania trial court incorrectly changed the valuation of two taxpayers' properties and overstepped its authority when it combined the assessments of the taxpayers and the city, the Commonwealth Court ruled.Â
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July 23, 2025
Texas House Bill Seeks Study Of Sales And Use Taxes
Texas would direct its comptroller to study the state's sales and use tax system and submit a report to the governor and state lawmakers under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives at the start of a special session.
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July 23, 2025
Why Private REITs Are Having A Moment
Investments in private real estate investment trusts are surging, and that trend may strengthen as state regulators mull limiting investments in other, quasi-public REITs, while securities regulators have recently eased accreditation requirements for investors raising private capital.
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July 22, 2025
Wash. Appeals Court Affirms Biz Tax Rule For Drop Shippers
The Washington Court of Appeals upheld the state's rule on Tuesday that out-of-state wholesalers in drop shipment transactions are subject to a business tax when the customer that ultimately receives the product is within the Evergreen State's borders, rejecting a challenge from California IT distributor Synnex.
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July 22, 2025
FTA Communicating With IRS On New Federal Tax Changes
The Federation of Tax Administrators has talked with the Internal Revenue Service about how the recent federal tax changes will be carried out, and it plans to communicate with state representatives to help them with the new law, the FTA's top official said Tuesday.
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July 22, 2025
Mo. High Court Says Counties Can't Tax Pot In Certain Areas
Counties can't add their own taxes on sales of adult-use cannabis in incorporated areas such as cities that impose their own tax, Missouri's highest court said Tuesday, reversing a lower court decision that upheld the county taxes.
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July 22, 2025
Streamlined Sales Tax Board Eyes Bundling Rule Overhaul
The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board is likely in the coming months to revisit its model for taxing products sold in a bundle, an official with the board said Tuesday.
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July 22, 2025
Colo. Panel Hears Proposals To Apply TABOR To More Fees
Colorado would apply its Taxpayer's Bill of Rights to a wider range of fee increases under a group of proposed ballot initiatives heard by state officials Tuesday, with proponents saying work remained to be done on language in the measures.
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July 22, 2025
Greenberg Traurig Adds State And Local Tax Pro From EY
Greenberg Traurig is bringing on a former principal in EY's national tax practice as a shareholder in the firm's Chicago office to advise on state and local tax matters.
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July 22, 2025
Colo. Ballot Plan Seeks 3% Funding Drop For Tax Rate Cut
Colorado would reduce general fund appropriations by 3% with the savings returned to taxpayers in the form of a lower tax rate under a ballot initiative proposed for the November 2026 statewide ballot heard by state officials Tuesday.
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July 22, 2025
NJ Requires State Buyback Of Unused Tax Credits
New Jersey's tax agency will be required to purchase certain unused tax credits for real estate development projects under a bill Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Credit Cards And Trading Cards: SALT In Review
From Mastercard's loss in a South Carolina court case to the taxability of trading cards imported to California, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences
A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Paraphernalia Imports
The Biden administration's recent proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana use raises questions about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement policies may shift when it comes to enforcing a separate federal ban on marijuana accessory imports, says R. Kevin Williams at Clark Hill.
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Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.