Baker Donelson’s Mississippi State Public Policy and Government Law professionals provide a wide array of services to governmental entities and those seeking to work with governmental entities or governmental programs. Baker Donelson serves as general counsel and special counsel to a broad range of local, regional and state governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. While our experience covers all areas of public policy and government law, we have extensive experience in the following areas:
Airports
Our lawyers regularly provide legal services to airport authorities inside and outside of Mississippi. The firm is general counsel to the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, operator of the Jackson–Evers International Airport, and the Mississippi Airports Association and has served as special counsel to numerous other airports on various matters, including development of concessions programs; negotiation of parking, food and beverage, and retail (news and gift) concession agreements; airfield, terminal and air cargo development projects; and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) compliance issues. We have been involved in every conceivable aspect of airport operations, including aeronautical and non aeronautical ground leases; air cargo; aviation and utility easements; bankruptcies; bond issues to finance capital improvements; commercial airline leases and permits; concession programs and agreements; consulting contracts; construction procurements, contracting and disputes; cooperative agreements with other public bodies; diversity, small business development and disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) programs; environmental permitting; FAA administrative and enforcement proceedings; federal and state grants; general aviation; ground transportation; hazard mitigation; joint use agreements with the military; labor and employment matters; land acquisition and eminent domain; land use and zoning; marketing incentive programs; master plans and contracts; minimum standards for operators; noise mitigation; passenger facility charges; procurements of all types; security regulations and enforcement; software licensing and service agreements; state airport legislation; third party operating and use agreements, licenses and permits; trademarks; and wastewater collection zoning and the ever expanding world of FAA regulations.
Economic Development
We have served as special counsel to numerous local governments, regional commissions and the primary state economic development agency in connection with the development of strategic plans and the accomplishment of commercial, retail, manufacturing and tourism projects. As outside counsel, we have assisted in the development and application of legislation providing specialized incentive programs for a wide variety of eligible projects and businesses.
Housing
We have one of the largest and most extensive affordable housing practices in the region. An integral part of the practice entails representing housing authorities and state housing finance agencies. We serve as general and special counsel to housing authorities on a wide range of projects, such as a $60 million HOPE VI Development and a state-wide consortium of housing authorities which have pooled their resources for a multi-million dollar debt financing. One of our attorneys recently served as legal counsel to the Housing Committee of the Mississippi Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal following Hurricane Katrina. We also have extensive experience working with state governments and housing finance agencies outside Mississippi.
Insurance Regulation
We have extraordinary experience in all types of state and federal insurance regulatory matters. Our focus and experience covers routine licensures, rate filings, complex reorganizations, market conduct and financial examinations to receiverships, catastrophic natural disasters and everything in between. Our insurance regulatory team includes attorneys with decades of experience representing the insurance industry in regulatory matters and a former Mississippi Insurance Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner with over fifty combined years as regulators, giving us a unique capacity to understand and resolve regulatory challenges.
Litigation and Government Investigations
We have represented local governments in a wide range of civil and criminal investigations, audits and administrative proceedings. Our attorneys have extensive investigatory and trial experience in local, state and federal law enforcement matters.
Procurements and Contracts
Our professionals are knowledgeable of local, state and federal procurement requirements and have represented both purchasers and sellers in all types of public procurements, including construction procurements, procurements of professional services, and the acquisition of equipment and other goods. Our work has included everything from drafting solicitation documents such as requests for bids (RFBs), requests for proposals (RFPs) and requests for qualifications (RFQs), to preparing and negotiating contracts to litigating over failure to perform.
Public Infrastructure
We have served as special counsel to numerous local, regional and state governments in connection with the planning, construction, management and financing of all types of public infrastructure, including potable and industrial water systems, airports , transportation/road corridors, intermodal facilities, gulf and river ports, telecommunications systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems.
Public Policy/Advocacy
Our Mississippi public policy advocates, both lawyer and non-lawyer, are extremely effective in achieving state and federal legislative solutions for our clients, including drafting, monitoring, testifying and lobbying for and against specific appropriations and legislation and otherwise assisting clients who seek specific and strategic administrative and policy action by local, state and federal government agencies and authorities. Our advocates and lobbyists have experience in affordable housing; airports; banking and financial services; commercial and consumer finance; economic development projects and programs; energy environmental regulation; ethics compliance; federal and state election laws; gaming; health care; information technology; insurance regulation; intellectual property; labor and employment; local, state and federal government budgets, appropriations, financing and grants; multi-modal transportation; national security; Native American affairs; ports; privatization of public services; procurement and proposal development; public finance; public infrastructure; telecommunications; tourism and recreational facilities; wastewater systems and water resources.
Public Finance
Baker Donelson's Mississippi public finance lawyers have a practice that extends far beyond the borders of the state. Over the past three years, the Firm’s lawyers have been involved in the issuance of over $2 billion in long term debt and have served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, issuer's counsel, trustee's counsel, bond insurer's counsel and credit enhancer's counsel in virtually every area of both tax exempt and taxable public finance in the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The Firm's public finance lawyers have advised governmental issuers and underwriters in all phases of both general obligation and revenue bond financings, and both current and advance refundings for, among others, water and sewer systems; port and airport facilities; multi-family and single family housing; hospital and healthcare equipment and facilities; economic and community development; tourism projects; higher education facilities; capital improvements; and tax-exempt equipment leasing pools. Our lawyers have conducted or participated in numerous contested and uncontested bond validation proceedings. We have also represented trustees, bondholders and issuers in default situations.