Tax Policy and the Impact on CRE

Louis J. Rogers is the founder and chief executive officer of Capital Square and its related entities He is also the founder and chief executive officer of Rogers Realty Advisors, LLC. Prior to founding Capital Square, he served as managing director of private programs at a national real estate sponsor and was the former chief executive officer of its FINRA-licensed broker-dealer. Rogers was a founding member of a national real estate investment sponsor in 1998, where he ultimately served as president and on the board of directors until 2007. Under his leadership, the company became the nation’s largest tenant-in-common (TIC) sponsor, which syndicated in excess of $5 billion of real estate in over 100 offerings, including TICs, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate funds. Prior to 2004, Rogers was an influential tax, securities, and real estate attorney. He was a partner with the Hirschler Fleischer law firm in Richmond, Virginia (1987-2004), where he founded and led the firm’s Real Estate Securities Practice Group. Rogers was responsible for billions of dollars of TIC, REIT and fund offerings as an attorney and executive officer. In 2017, Rogers was a finalist for the 2017 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mid-Atlantic. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, he was listed as one of the most powerful and influential leaders on the Virginia 500 Power List by Virginia Business and was also awarded Real Estate Forum’s Best Bosses 2020 by GlobeSt. In September 2022, Rogers will be honored by the Richmond chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for his significant impact on the Richmond community. Rogers earned a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University in 1979 (with highest honors), a Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in 1981 and Master of Arts in 1985 in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, and a Juris Doctor degree in 1984 from University of Virginia School of Law. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Law at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary and lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law.

David Franasiak became a Principal of Williams & Jensen in 1992. As Vice President of Finance and a member of the Executive Committee since 1993, he is responsible for the day-to-day financial management of the firm, pension plans, and outside legal entities. Mr. Franasiak specializes in a legislative and administrative practice focused on tax, securities, financial institutions, and natural resources. Mr. Franasiak has over twenty-five years of experience working on public policy issues with corporate executives, not-for-profit organizations, accounting firms, broker dealers, hedge funds, financial institutions, and associations. Prior to joining Williams & Jensen, he was a Principal in the Office of the Chairman at Ernst & Young, working on tax, securities, and financial institution issues. From 1984 to 1987, he worked for British Petroleum on tax, finance, environment, and energy issues, and was Director of Tax at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 1981 to 1984. Previous to this position, he served as Staff Director to the Tax Oversight Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee. Early in his career, Mr. Franasiak worked on the legislative staffs of a city and county legislature, and worked as a venture analyst for a large multinational corporation while completing his graduate work. In addition to serving Williams & Jensen clients, Mr. Franasiak teaches a seminar at the University at Buffalo Law School’s New York City Program in Finance and Law; recent course topics focused on securitization, and the crisis in the capital markets. He is actively involved in volunteering and fundraising related to Maryland state politics as well as many civic organizations. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the International Stock Exchange Executives Emeriti (ISEEE) and the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP).

Ja’Ron Smith is currently Deputy Assistant to the President (Office of American Innovation) and previously served as a Special Assistant to the President for the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. As a Special Assistant to the President, Ja’Ron is the President’s liaison to the United States House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Agriculture Committee, Education and Workforce Committee, Homeland Security Committee, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In this role, Ja’Ron is instrumental in policy negotiations and remains a catalyst in policy reform. Ja’Ron’s leadership and expertise have been exemplified through the imperative roles that he played in national issues such as the Opportunity Zones Act and the First Step Act. Ja’Ron’s leadership was integral to the bills’ success; from their inception to their implementation. Mr. Smith is often sought after by professionals nationwide for his perspectives on these and other national initiatives. Prior to serving as the Special Assistant to the President in the Office of Legislative Affairs, Ja’Ron served as a Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and served as the Director of Urban Affairs and Revitalization. In this capacity, he was a chief policy strategist, an advisor to the President, along with serving as a manager of HBCU initiatives, crime and reentry, and the manager of the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. A policy and congressional connoisseur, Mr. Smith has played a dynamic role in policy development and social change in the D.C. Metropolitan Area through his service in the non-profit and political sectors. His extensive knowledge and ability have proven an invaluable asset to Congressmen Scalise, Jordan, and Hensarling, along with Senator Scott and prior Chairman Mike Pence; all of whom Ja’Ron served during his career. As evidenced by his personal and professional commitments, Mr. Smith has been a longtime advocate for economic development, crime prevention, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Ja’Ron Smith was most recently awarded the 2020 Bipartisan Justice Award. Ja’Ron is a graduate of Howard University School of Business and Howard University School of Divinity.

Ryan McCormick is Senior Vice President and Counsel at The Real Estate Roundtable, where he is responsible for managing the organization’s tax policy activities. The Real Estate Roundtable brings together leaders of the nation’s top publicly held and privately owned real estate ownership, development, lending and management firms and leaders of major national real estate trade associations to jointly address key national policy issues relating to real estate and the overall economy. The Roundtable (www.rer.org) is located in Washington, D.C. Ryan coordinates the activities of the Real Estate Roundtable’s Tax Policy Advisory Committee, a group of 150 leading real estate tax experts, including the in-house tax directors, general counsel, and chief financial officers of Roundtable members and senior partners from the country’s preeminent real estate advisory firms. The Roundtable’s Tax Policy Advisory Committee works to help lawmakers and federal officials understand how tax rules affect real estate activity, and it promotes pro-growth tax reforms that will facilitate sound, environmentally responsible real estate investment and development. Ryan joined the Roundtable in May 2013 after serving nearly 11 years in the U.S. Senate as a tax and economic policy advisor for Senators Bob Graham, Pat Moynihan, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, and Bill Nelson. In the Senate, he developed policy initiatives, drafted tax legislation, and devised legislative strategies to advance his Members’ economic priorities. In the 112th Congress, Ryan was Staff Director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. As staff director, Ryan guided and oversaw all aspects of the subcommittee’s activities, including bipartisan hearings on tax reform and tax policy matters. In addition to his service in the Senate, from 2006 until 2008, Ryan practiced tax law as an associate at Miller & Chevalier (“shev-a-leer”) in Washington, D.C., the oldest tax law firm in the country. He is a graduate of Georgetown University; Sciences-Po (“see-ons pō”) in Paris, France; and the University of Texas School of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Texas International Law Journal and received the Vinson & Elkins Presidential Scholarship in International Law. From 2000 to 2001, Ryan researched tax reform in West Africa as a Fulbright Scholar.