ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Kenneth Artin, a Shareholder in the law firm of Bryant Miller Olive, is being sworn in today as President of the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
The National Association of Bond Lawyers is comprised of nearly 3,000 lawyers from around the United States. As President of the NABL, Artin will serve as its main spokesperson, representing the collective interests of his fellow public finance professionals in matters affecting the legal and regulatory frameworks of the public finance industry.
This includes important interface with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service on issues such as the possible elimination of tax-exempt bonds and concerns related to the issue price of bonds.
NABL is the premier organization of public finance attorneys in the United States and promotes the integrity of the municipal market by advancing the understanding of and compliance with laws affecting public finance.
Some of the current issues that Artin will face during his year as President include:
- Several national-level proposals that could either limit or even eliminate tax-exempt bonds. Tax-exempt bonds allow municipalities to borrow money at a lower interest rate, resulting in lower costs on construction projects and other infrastructure needs. By limiting or even eliminating these tax-exempt bonds, local governments would have to pay more for these infrastructure projects, and the people who would feel the greatest negative impact are the taxpayers themselves.
- The renewal of the Federal Transportation Bill, which could have an impact on the tax code and tax-exempt bonds.
- Issue Price Regulation – NABL will testify before the Treasury in late October on new IRS regulations related to the issue price of bonds.
- Several municipalities have declared bankruptcy during the last few years – the city of Detroit and Jefferson County, Alabama being two examples. What happens to the bonds issued by those municipalities? NABL recently issued the 3rd edition of its Municipal Bankruptcy: A Guide for Public Finance Attorneys to discuss this issue.
“Ken has been an important leader and contributor to the NABL Board and our seminars, teleconferences and projects for years,” said Allen Robertson, NABL’s 2013-14 President. “We are certain Ken will make an excellent 37th President of the NABL.”
Artin has been practicing public finance law since 1986 and has been an active participant in NABL since 1996. In recent years, his practice has primarily focused on major public-private partnership and public finance transactions in connection with transportation facilities across the United States, and with higher education institutions throughout Florida.
“Ken is known for innovation and hard work. The team at Bryant Miller Olive is proud that he will be able to dedicate his immense talents to representing public finance lawyers across the country over the next year,” said Grace Dunlap, managing shareholder of the firm. “Ken has a real passion for the continued enhancement of the public finance legal profession.”
Artin is a Managing Shareholder in the Washington, D.C. office of Bryant Miller Olive. He splits his time between the Washington, D.C. office and BMO’s office in Orlando, which he calls home.
About Bryant Miller Olive: With a distinguished 45-year history of serving its clients’ needs, Bryant Miller Olive represents governments, businesses and agencies in legal matters relating to public finance, state and local government law, complex transactions, project finance, and litigation. The firm has served as Bond Counsel on more deals than any other firm in the Southeast over the past five years, and more than any other firm in Florida over the past decade. Members of the firm are often called upon to handle some of the most complex legal issues in the boardroom and in the courtroom. The firm has offices in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.bmolaw.com.