Development and Economic Policy

As American businesses, real estate and development companies, and state, local and federal agencies prepare for once-in-a-generation infrastructure upgrades, our lawyers, and consultants, counsel clients through all stages of policy, real estate, capital markets, infrastructure and development needs.

As outlined in the American Jobs Plan, the United States will be investing heavily in transportation — roads, bridges, airports, passenger rails, electric vehicles, and safety — to reconnect communities across the country. Additionally, the plan calls for significant investment in energy and environmental industries, including power grids, water supplies and technology investments in broadband. These sectors rely on the knowledge, experience, and capabilities McGuireWoods offers clients across the United States. 

Construction, Infrastructure and Real Estate Focus

McGuireWoods helps clients in the United States with all legal aspects of construction, infrastructure, and real estate development projects. In building-related projects, we represent public and private owners, engineering and design firms, construction managers, prime contractors and subcontractors, material and equipment suppliers, and financers.

We advise clients on projects involving airports, hospitals, prisons, infrastructure, industrial/manufacturing plants, factories, high- and mid-rises, shopping centers, apartment buildings, condominiums, and residential communities. Our team has extensive experience in the construction of energy plants, including power plants, oil and gas platforms, and shale gas processing and liquefied natural gas facilities.

We work with clients throughout the life cycle of a project, including the early stages of drafting legislation, securing land use permits, and negotiating project, management, and operation contracts. Clients rely on us to identify key business and project development milestones and to anticipate and safeguard against regulatory hurdles and litigation threats. Our areas of focus include highways and turnpikes, bridges and tunnels, grid stabilization and hardening, water and waste facilities, educational institutions, sport and recreational facilities, cybersecurity, and mixed-use real estate complexes.

Our lawyers’ backgrounds, related to construction matters, include experience in insurance and risk management, tax law, energy regulatory, intellectual property protection, licensing and infringement, transactional, project finance, environmental, real estate and land use law, and land in congressional and governmental agency relations. Our large labor and employment practice handles issues facing clients in the construction industry involving unions, double-breasting, minority business enterprises, discrimination, immigration, and ERISA.

Public-Private Partnerships (P3s)

Since the inception of this practice at the firm more than 35 years ago, our lawyers have employed innovative financing techniques to achieve clients’ objectives. We pioneered the use of public-private partnerships, special revenue, tax and assessment pledges, lease financings, tax and revenue anticipation vehicles, real estate secured loans, and moral obligation pledges and other subject-to-appropriation financings. We also established the validity of these financing options through legislation, judicial validations, and administrative interpretations. Additionally, our consulting team helps investors leverage tax benefits to enhance returns, including the facilitation of P3s. Our consultants assist with site selection, community support, education and awareness, and incentive negotiations for P3 deals.

Consulting Infrastructure and Economic Development Focus

The McGuireWoods Consulting infrastructure and economic development team is a recognized leader in navigating the politically driven climate of infrastructure projects, drawing on deep experience in site selection, incentives negotiations, opportunity zones and public-private partnership deals. From building a new facility and relocating existing operations, to navigating complex site selection and incentives negotiations processes, our team works with clients every step of the way to accomplish their business goals. MWC has a proven track record securing millions of dollars in economic incentives negotiations. Our consulting team works in partnership with state and local governments to develop needed infrastructure projects, playing an instrumental role implementing public-private partnership laws across the country and guiding companies through the development process.

From understanding complicated government regulations and policy issues, to ensuring public sentiment favors our client’s project, our consulting team has the experience and strong relationships necessary to get the job done. We work with key decision-makers daily to help clients integrate into the communities they’re joining as partners, not adversaries.

Employing proper guidance and due diligence, McGuireWoods Consulting helps companies navigate the governmental approval processes, saving clients time and money while ultimately adding to their bottom line.

Our Strategic Platform

Our Approach to the Markets

Our team draws on years of collective hands-on experience with construction, infrastructure, real estate and policy programs across local, state, and federal levels. Reflecting the complicated nature of many projects, our real estate, tax, land use, public finance and corporate lawyers and consultants collaborate to deliver an integrated approach to client needs.

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