Government Affairs – February, 2017

NAIOP Members –

Kerrie and I could not be more excited to represent your organization during the 2017 Nevada Legislative Session, and beyond. We want to take this opportunity to introduce our practice to you, but first must thank the NAIOP Government Affairs Committee for their faith in our capabilities. We will work hard every day to exceed your expectations.

My love for government process began when I was 5 years old, when my father brought me into the room to watch the President’s State of the Union Address. Watching the pageantry, congress clapping – or sitting on their hands, as the case may be – the response, I was hooked. Conveniently, I grew up just outside of Chicago, and had at my fingertips as much local, state, and federal politics as I could ever want.

I attended Loyola University Chicago, and majored in political science. While at Loyola, I was invited to participate in a year-long immersive course entitled “Eyes on Chicago.” This course studied the interrelationships between Chicago’s neighborhoods, City Hall, the Illinois General Assembly (their legislature), and Washington D.C. What struck me the most about this course was how much influence commercial development has on the shaping of state, local, and even federal policy because commercial development ultimately dictates the viability of a neighborhood. Following graduation from Loyola, I attended DePaul University College of Law, which is effectively Chicago’s gateway to local politics; virtually everyone seeking local elected office in Chicago went to DePaul Law, the alma mater of both Mayors Daley, and virtually every Alderman and County Board member.

I moved to Las Vegas in 2001, and in 2003, joined the political firm Kummer Kaempfer Bonner & Renshaw. While at KKBR, I began lobbying local land-use, licensing, and permitting issues, and eventually worked into legislative lobbying. I left KKBR in 2007, and following a very brief stint as Associate General Counsel for a local developer, was hired as General Counsel for the World Market Center Las Vegas, which was at the time, the largest commercial landlord in the state. As GC, I oversaw all of the company’s transactions and worked with local and state government on issues relating to economic development and commercial leasing.

Greenberg Traurig hired me away from WMCLV in 2013 to build a government law and policy practice in its Las Vegas office. Since that time, we have grown to a multi-faceted legislative practice, which engages on issues relating to tax, economic development, real estate, transportation, and many others. In addition, we are actively involved in local government, maintaining a healthy land-use and zoning, licensing, and permitting practice, and have all the experience necessary to assist NAIOP members with their day-to-day needs in local government as well.

Kerrie Kramer began her path to politics in construction, working with a homebuilder and general contractor in Reno, NV. Following the recession, Kerrie relocated to Las Vegas in 2009, to work in the legal department of World Market Center Las Vegas. While at WMCLV, Kerrie negotiated and wrote more than 1,500 lease and license agreements between the property and tradeshow exhibitors. In addition, Kerrie began her work with local government, managing the massive permit and license portfolio of the tradeshow facility. During the 2011 and 2013 legislative sessions, Kerrie monitored political activities and performed bill tracking for relevant legislation. Upon her arrival at GT in 2013, Kerrie continued her lobbying work before the local municipalities, and also built upon her proficiencies as a legislative lobbyist by monitoring election analytics and building relationships with key members of the Nevada legislature. In 2015, Kerrie became a registered legislative lobbyist and advocated for GT clients in Carson City, and had the honor of pushing a key piece of legislation through both houses and to the Governor’s desk. Signed in June, 2015, AB 108 aided victims of sex trafficking by helping them clear their criminal records.

The 2017 Nevada Legislative Session promises to be both dynamic and impactful for NAIOP and its members. Chief among the issues we are presently tracking for NAIOP is modification of Nevada’s real property tax caps. As you may understand, Nevada’s real property taxes are constrained by statute from rising commensurate with assessed values. Accordingly, following the 2015 Legislative Session, city and county managers began a unified push for modification of the caps such that local governments could begin to recover municipal revenue lost during the recession years. This modification – however it is styled – will have a profound effect on residential and commercial real properties, as well as construction. In addition to property taxes, we are also tracking legislation relating to economic development in commercial real estate. Specifically, the Southern Nevada Forum – a collection of local business and government leaders in southern Nevada – has said legislation related to workforce development, supporting federal grant dollars, and transportation infrastructure are legislative priorities for 2017. Of great importance, the Southern Nevada Forum has suggested legislation pertaining to a utility infrastructure fund, intended to spur commercial development by enhancing the availability of “shovel ready” parcels of real property.

We are here to ensure NAIOP and its members will have a seat at the table for every relevant discussion at the 2017 Legislative Session, as well as in local government. But, Kerrie and I want to be more than your representatives in government; we are here for you, as a NAIOP member benefit. To the extent you have any questions or need any advice, please contact us at any time. We are always happy to discuss developing solutions for your businesses, as we move NAIOP and Nevada forward in our new growth economy.

Jonathan P. Leleu
Shareholder
leleuj@gtlaw.com

Kerrie Kramer
Assistant Director
kramerk@gtlaw.com

Greenberg Traurig, LLP | Suite 400 North
3773 Howard Hughes Parkway | Las Vegas, Nevada 89169
Tel 702.938-6917 | Fax 702.925.2316 | www.gtlaw.com