During Maine’s 2015 legislative session, our government relations attorneys helped to pass various new laws to help advance the interests of our clients. We helped pass laws such as a sales tax exemption on fuel purchased for large scale greenhouses, student privacy protection, and grandfathering the approval of certain stormwater systems when expansions are proposed.

Designed, drafted and lobbied on behalf of manufacturers and other industrial clients a business property tax reimbursement program providing full reimbursement for most business equipment ("BETR"), and subsequently a property tax exemption for business equipment ("BETE"). Worked to achieve annual funding of these programs.

Working closely with businesses and state and federal trade associations, we successfully opposed a drastic revision of Maine’s franchise statute on behalf of a national restaurant franchise. Defeat of this bill was vital, as it proposed unreasonable involvement by the state in the contractual relationships negotiated between franchisors and franchisees and would have severely limited the ability of franchisors to protect their brands.

Attorneys providing indigent legal services (appointed counsel) had not received a raise in pay from the State of Maine for nearly 15 years. Representing the legal community, we worked through the budget process to secure, for the first time since 1999, an increase in appointed counsel’s rate of pay.

During Maine’s 2015 legislative session, our government relations attorneys helped to defeat various proposals to help protect the interests of our clients. We successfully defeated numerous proposals that would have been detrimental to our clients, including the defeat of a water extraction tax bill, a bill prohibiting contractor indemnification, and several solid waste bills.

On behalf of a group of automobile manufacturers, we worked with a coalition of automotive interests to defeat what is commonly titled “right to repair” legislation, which would have put intellectual property rights at risk by requiring manufacturers to share diagnostic and other proprietary information at prices dictated by statute.

We successfully advocated for the enactment of legislation to improve the Business Equipment Tax Exemption and avoid cuts to the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement and Pine Tree Zone programs.

In the 2012-2013 Maine Legislative Session, we represented the aviation industry in successfully lobbying to extend the airplane sales & use tax exemption 20 years. This single sentence in an extensive state budget provides relief for aircraft purchasers, pilots flying into Maine and maintenance of aircraft while in Maine. In 2011 Maine lawmakers approved a temporary sales and use tax exemption for aircraft and aircraft parts, but that exemption was scheduled to expire in 2015. With this exemption, Maine will be on a level playing field with other New England states in the aviation community.

Representing the development community, we successfully preserved Maine’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit. When pressed to balance the state’s budget, Maine legislators considered limiting a tax credit that has resulted in the revitalization of a number of key historic properties throughout the state. Working with beneficiaries of this tax credit, we were able to educate legislators on the importance of this program, including the economic activity it stimulates and to preserve this credit.