Episodes
A panel made up of Brownstein policy directors that worked in President Trump’s first administration come together for a candid conversation about the 2024 election results before turning to what’s ahead for the Trump transition and the next four years. Moderated by Barry Jackson, the panel is also joined by Boris Epshteyn, counsel and senior advisor to President Trump, who provided insights on Trump’s historic campaign and agenda for his next term.
Published 11/19/24
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 future neighbors.
Published 11/12/24
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 residents will be asked to vote on during this election.
Published 10/31/24
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’ successes and challenges as well as current trends in the market.
Published 10/29/24
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 potential impact.
Published 10/22/24
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.
Published 10/15/24
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 concerned industry members can utilize to protect 199-A rates, including joining the Protect Coalition, an organization solely focused on this issue.
Published 09/17/24
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 the convention's narrative and vision for the 2024 election reflects the broader political and policy challenges facing the nation.
Published 09/03/24
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 individuals and companies are on the line as we count down to Election Day.
Published 08/08/24
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 shifted and our policy professionals who attended the RNC dissect the policy and political developments since they left Fiserv Forum.
Published 08/01/24
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.
Published 05/28/24
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 into November, the issues that will dominate the campaign trail and how you can be prepared for policy changes in 2025 and beyond.
Published 05/24/24
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 Josh Weiss as they discuss how the rescheduling process will play out, tax implications, what this means for the SAFER Banking bill and many other...
Published 05/22/24
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. This discussion provides employers, HR professionals and in-house counsel with the knowledge they need to accurately classify independent...
Published 05/07/24
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 how to best position yourself for a positive outcome.
Published 03/18/24
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 credit scores of borrowers, as well as expand the definition of credit reporters which will likely have measurable effects on internet content...
Published 01/10/24
‘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 questions for employers—from serving alcohol and time of day to mandatory attendance and inclusivity concerns—and the best strategies to avoid the...
Published 11/15/23
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 refunds. Before you vote your ballot, take a listen as Brownstein’s Caitlin Quander and Andi Stader go over the particulars of the ballot question,...
Published 10/19/23
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 & Education Consortium teams will discuss the status of programs affected by the subsidies cliff, how it may impact stakeholders and possible...
Published 10/13/23
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 Research Service predicted the DEA would follow that recommendation “if past is prologue." And most recently, a perennially debated bipartisan bill...
Published 10/11/23
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 issues, drug imports, telemedicine, generative AI and learnings from COVID-19.
Moderator:
Mike King, shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber...
Published 10/09/23
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 through which provisions have received the most attention, their path to adoption and the timeline to watch through the end of the year.
Published 08/31/23
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 banned provisions in rental agreements and changes to what landlords can consider when vetting tenants to how much landlords can charge for pets.
Published 08/04/23
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. Now with the National Defense Authorization Act on the horizon, we bring together our defense team to discuss how we got here and what to expect...
Published 06/16/23