In order to assist our clients in charting their future business plans, the attorneys of Golden Holley James are often called on to advise on legislative and regulatory policies being considered and adopted by state and federal governments. From strategy development to representation before local and state governments, we provide a range of services necessary to achieve our clients’ objectives.

We keep abreast of laws and rules that impact governance – whether for non-profit or for-profit corporations – such as industry best practices in data privacy or the impact of health care reform. We help our clients avoid the ambiguities that hamper effective operation, advising on internal corporate relationship structures and clarifying the elements of good governance. We focus on the big picture when advising clients on key decisions, such as executive hiring and terminations, key employee compensation arrangements and advising on shared governance.

Representative engagements:

  • In 2015, GHJ represented a major hotel developer which sought to amend Georgia law regarding the value of state Historic Tax Credits for commercial projects. GHJ drafted legislation, worked with the state’s legislative counsel to revise drafts, testified before the Georgia State House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and ultimately assisted the client in its successful effort to increase the state Historic Tax Credit from $300,000 to $5 million. In late 2016, the developer closed on over $200 million in financing that will include equity derived from state and federal Historic Tax Credits, state employment tax credits, owner contributions, conventional debt and a taxable revenue bond for the parking structure (a transaction in whcich GHJ served as disclosure counsel to the issuer). The project will enable the conversion of a massive abandoned power plant on the Savannah River into a hotel, entertainment, dining and retail venue that will create more than 500 jobs in a distressed community.
  • GHJ represents a community banking trade association and consortium of community banks in its efforts to achieve parity consideration in the allocation of federal New Markets Tax Credits. In this capacity, the firm has met with decision-makers in the United States Department of Treasury, written position papers, drafted legislation, met with members of Congress, presented at industry conventions and coordinated with other interested parties to seek change.