capitalizing on opportunities

Lerch Early represents businesses and individuals in all aspects of federal and state tax controversies, including audits, administrative appeals, tax court litigation, collection appeals hearings, and the offer-in-compromise process.  Our experience extends to the substantive and procedural issues associated with federal and state income tax audits, as well as unpaid employment taxes, sales and use taxes, and unclaimed property taxes.

To minimize the cost and burden associated with the escalation of a tax matter, we actively seek a leadership role in analyzing communications and preparing comprehensive and precise responses to the inquiries of the taxing authorities for our clients.  Early involvement in a tax controversy allows us to use our knowledge of the law and available legal procedures to explain complex substantive and technical issues.  Our experience shows that this approach provides our clients with a comprehensive understanding of the alternative strategies available to them for resolving confusing and highly stressful situations in a beneficial and expedient manner.

Success Stories

Adventist HealthCare

Challenge

The senior living subsidiary of Adventist HealthCare a number of its subsidiaries decided to sell six skilled nursing facilities. The sale to Genesis HealthCare involved multiple owners and jurisdictions.

Strategy

Adventist HealthCare owned five of the facilities and one was jointly owned by Frederick Memorial Hospital. Four of the facilities were located in Montgomery County, and the remaining two were located in Prince George’s County and Frederick County. The multi-million dollar transaction, which took the better part of a year to complete, involved the sale and lease of real estate, the sale of the ongoing business operations of the nursing facilities, defeasance of bond financing, and various ancillary issues. Lerch Early attorneys worked closely with in-house counsel and a number of other representatives of Adventist HealthCare to negotiate the sales contracts, satisfy due diligence requirements, and successfully complete the transfer.

Result

Adventist HealthCare now is able to focus care for the community’s senior population through its various programs, partnerships and entities.

Howard University

Challenge

Lerch Early serves as primary outside real estate counsel to Howard University.  For the past several years, the now 150 year old University has been leveraging certain of its Washington, DC real estate assets to improve the campus environment and the experience of its most valuable assets – the students, faculty and staff of the University.

Strategy

In 2016-2017, Lerch Early attorneys worked with the University’s internal legal and finance teams and its outside real estate advisor, Alvarez and Marsal, to structure a unique arrangement among  Howard Dormitory Holdings 1, LLC, a wholly-owned and title-holding company of Howard University, and Howard University (collectively, the “University Parties”) and Corvias Campus Living, LLC (“Corvias”).  Lerch Early represented the University Parties in drafting and negotiating the concessionaire, project management and residential life agreements, entity formation agreements, construction contracts, financing documents, and other operative  agreements in connection with the transaction, as well as assisting the University Parties in addressing and resolving numerous legal and business issues associated with the transaction.

Result

The innovative 40-year partnership among the University Parties and Corvias raised $144 million, a portion of which will fund the renovation and modernization of the Howard Towers, will provide for the ongoing management of the Howard Towers and two additional residence halls, and will create, for the long-term, a sizable reserve fund for future capital expenses.

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