B. Lafe Metz

B. Lafe Metz

B. Lafe Metz focuses his practice on state and local tax litigation and transactional planning, and on real estate development, finance and leasing.

Among Lafe's recent tax work, he has:

· Obtained a real estate tax exemption for a $150 million continuing care retirement community in Western Pennsylvania, notwithstanding its entrance fees between $200,000 and $600,000.

· Obtained a sales and use tax exemption for a large teaching hospital in Philadelphia, which will save several million dollars per year in taxes.

· Won a case of first impression in Pennsylvania in which the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas upheld Clean & Green preferential real estate tax assessment for tracts of timberland owned by a country club.

· Coordinated state and local tax planning for the acquisition and development of a prominent Pennsylvania casino.

· Represented more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies in Pennsylvania state and local tax controversies before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Board of Finance and Revenue, and Board of Appeals.

· Negotiated a real estate tax settlement agreement on behalf of a newly renovated, university-owned sports facility and faculty club in Pittsburgh.

· Negotiated a real estate tax settlement agreement on behalf of a university-owned sports complex in Western Pennsylvania that includes multiple hockey rinks, a golf dome, track and field, and fitness center.

· Obtained real estate tax exemptions for several Pennsylvania properties owned by an order of Franciscan nuns and devoted to religious worship.

· Supervised a 12-member team that secured $3 million in tax refunds for a major rail company.

· Obtained more than $1 million in tax penalty abatement in an embezzlement case.

· Won a $360,000 Realty Transfer Tax case before the Pennsylvania Board of Appeals.

In his real estate work, Lafe has recently:

· Represented the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in the development of Consol Energy Center, the new Pittsburgh Penguins Arena.

· Represented a nationally recognized bank in the $40 million sale-leaseback of 50 bank branches.

· Represented the developer of a $150 million wind farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and a $100 million wind farm in Centre County, Pennsylvania, with respect to leasing, development and land-use issues.

· Negotiated leases on behalf of a fine arts storage company with several nationally recognized museums.

· Represented the August Wilson Center in connection with the development of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in downtown Pittsburgh.

· Handled land use issues in connection with the expansion of toll roads in Northeast Pennsylvania.

· Overcame a zoning challenge to reopen a juvenile detention facility in rural Pennsylvania.

· Represented the buyer of a $25 million office building in downtown Pittsburgh.

· Represented the seller of a $25 million industrial park in Western Pennsylvania.

· Represented the buyer in a $10 million purchase of four apartment buildings in Saraland, Alabama.

· Represented the seller in a $1.25 million sale of unimproved real estate in North Dallas, Texas.

Prior to joining Buchanan, Lafe was a tax associate in a Philadelphia-based law firm, where he conducted more than 25 hearings before state and local courts and boards. He drafted tax settlement agreements, tax opinions, proposed legislation, ruling requests and voluntary disclosures, as well as negotiated tax settlements with the IRS and state and local revenue departments.

From October of 2004 to April of 2005, Lafe studied Spanish in Guatemala, becoming proficient in the language.

Lafe is the president of Pittsburgh Squash, which organizes individual and team squash leagues and tournaments in Pittsburgh. He is also pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Chatham University.

Publications & Speeches

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Allegheny County's 2002 Base Year Real Estate Tax System Unconstitutional
April 30, 2009

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Pittsburgh Promotions Noted in Media
March 4, 2009

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Announces Attorney Promotions
February 10, 2009

Pittsburgh Real Estate Attorney Lafe Metz Quoted on Tax Liens in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
August 21, 2008

Allegheny County to Perform Triennial Re-evaluations of Exempt Properties' Continued Qualification for Real Estate Tax Exemption
December 19, 2007

Pennsylvania Amends Realty Transfer Tax Regulations
December 5, 2007

Ruling on Base Year Real Estate Taxing System has Statewide Implications for Pennsylvania
June 11, 2007

Owner May Seek to Have Property Assessed at the Lower of its 2002 Base or 2006 Fair Market Value
September 6, 2006

BNA Corporate Practice Series: Doing Business in States Other than the State of Incorporation
Co-author, Pennsylvania chapter
September 2006

State and Local Tax Developments
presentation to George Harris & Associates
2004

LLC Update
presentation for National Business Institute
2004

LLC Update
presentation for National Business Institute
2003

Civic & Charitable

Pittsburgh Squash, president

Children's Village Child Care Center, past treasurer and board member

Kensington South Community Development Corporation, past board member