Shawn focuses on municipal, commercial and corporate law. He represents clients in private and public financing transactions, with special emphasis on various types of commercial and real estate related transactions involving industrial development agencies, urban renewal agencies, local development corporations, land use, zoning and federal, state and local incentives. His structured financing experience includes straight-lease transactions and bond transactions involving industrial development agencies with an increasing use of increment financing and unique incentive structures. He brings his experience to bear in working with these programs and the overlay of other local, state and federal benefits.
Shawn counsels IDAs throughout New York state acting as transaction counsel and often acting as general counsel on IDA operational issues such as compliance; corporate governance; employment issues; formation of affiliated entities; development of spec buildings, industrial parks and infrastructure; litigation and environmental compliance.
Shawn has developed unique structures for increment financing, use of New Markets Tax Credits and related benefit programs. PILOT Increment financing has become a specialty with district concepts and unique funding and borrowing structures developed on a case-by-case basis.
In the past, he has served as bond counsel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and as such drafted the authorizing legislation and closed on the first non-housing private activity bond in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has formed and advised municipal water and sewer districts, acted as counsel to Seneca County as part of the Seneca Army Depot closing, advised municipalities on forming, utilizing and redefining the boundaries of Empire Zones and Empowerment Zones and the use of local development corporations and urban renewal agencies as part of a development plan. He has been involved in annexation and condemnation actions. His practice also includes utility rate negotiations and funding of electrical infrastructure as well as brownfield redevelopment. He has worked with the federal Economic Development Administration grant program, entitlement city funding, small cities block.