Federal

Expert Analysis

• How COVID Has Changed Project Development And Finance

  

  Two and a half years into the pandemic, some COVID-19-specific provisions are now common in the project development and finance markets, while others are still undergoing negotiation, say Nate Galer and Katy McNeil at Mayer Brown.

• Unpacking The Shift In DOJ Corporate Enforcement Policy

  

  Attorneys at Paul Hastings provide takeaways for companies seeking to mitigate increased enforcement risks from the U.S. Department of Justice's recent corporate prosecution policy changes, including greater focus on individuals, requirements for cooperation credits, evaluations of prior misconduct, expectations for compliance programs and factors for determining whether to impose a monitor.

• What AML Bill Could Mean For Firms, Funds And FinCEN

  

  If passed, an amendment within Congress’ annual defense bill would expand the list of institutions subject to anti-money laundering regulations, from law firms to investment funds, creating potential rulemaking and enforcement challenges for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• How Inflation Reduction Act Will Lift Offshore Wind Projects

  

  The Inflation Reduction Act should promote the development of offshore wind energy in multiple ways — including by improving the planning and permitting process for transmission infrastructure, expanding potential lease areas and making beneficial changes to the tax credits available for renewable energy developers, say attorneys at Day Pitney.

• CORRECTED: New Tax Credits For Renewables Should Offer Investors Relief

  

  The Inflation Reduction Act's changes to tax credits for renewable energy projects should finally liberate tax equity investors from the restraints of the complex and onerous federal anti-abuse regime, says Kay Hobart at Parker Poe. Correction: Because of an editing error, a previous version of this article incorrectly characterized tax enforcement regimes in North Carolina and other states. This error has been corrected.

• Inflation Reduction Act A Boon To Hydrogen, Carbon Capture

  

  The Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits and direct payments, extension of existing renewable electricity subsidies, and other benefits will accelerate hydrogen and carbon capture projects across the U.S. — and will likely draw capital into the country that would otherwise have gone to projects elsewhere, say attorneys at Shearman.

• What The Inflation Reduction Act Has To Do With Crypto

  

  The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act’s $80 billion supplemental funding allotment for the IRS could have unexpectedly significant implications for the cryptocurrency market, which may find itself the target of ramped-up tax audits and enforcement, says cybersecurity consultant John Reed Stark.

• Unpacking The New Stock Buyback Tax And Its Exceptions

  

  Xenia Garofalo and Kyle Colonna at Eversheds Sutherland discuss provisions of the recently enacted tax on corporate stock repurchases, how its exceptions may be applied and what companies should consider when evaluating the cost of new or existing programs.

• Health Issues To Watch In Inflation Act, Other Policy Initiatives

  

  The newly signed Inflation Reduction Act includes a number of significant drug pricing reforms, and the future holds a wider array of health issues that may be addressed in pending legislation when Congress returns in September, says Miranda Franco at Holland & Knight.

• How New Markets Tax Credit Can Help Pandemic Recovery

  

  The New Markets Tax Credit program, designed to spur private investment in low-income, nonmetropolitan and distressed communities, is one potential remedy that can help alleviate the pandemic's negative impact on especially vulnerable areas, says Julia Fendler at Butler Snow.

• Senate Cannabis Bill May Give Some Cos. A Competitive Edge

  

  Though the recently introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is unlikely to pass, it provides a bellwether for federal legalization, with a robust regulatory framework that would offer large food and beverage companies a structural advantage and poise multistate cannabis operators for further growth, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

• Lessons For Federal Lawmakers As Calif. Alters Cannabis Tax

  

  California recently eliminated a cultivation tax that had for years burdened the state’s licensed cannabis market, providing important lessons for federal lawmakers on cumbersome regulations and unduly high taxes as they debate legalization, says Raza Lawrence at Zuber Lawler.

• Tips On Qualified Small Business Stock Exclusions

  

  While awaiting more Internal Revenue Service guidance on the maze of requirements a taxpayer must satisfy for the qualified small business stock exclusion, there are steps proactive taxpayers can take to ensure their ability to establish their qualifications if they are audited, says Stephen Josey at Kostelanetz & Fink.