Michael B. Levy

Lobbied Congress and the White House to defeat a proposed rule from the Department of Labor, which would impose significant changes to our client's business model. We built significant policymaker opposition and the White House removed the rule from consideration.

Successfully lobbied the Securities and Exchange Commission to carve out and improve money market rules proposed by the Chair of the SEC, and supported by the Administration.

Successfully lobbied the NY Governors Office and state legislature to defeat a proposed budget measure that called for the revocation of a foreign tax credit treaty exemption. The measure would have raised billions by imposing a double tax on global companies paying taxation abroad with countries under an existing treaty.

Assisted titanium industry in negotiating new terms for governing the military’s purchase of specialty metals.

Prevented the expansion of foreign trade that created a competitive advantage for a rival metals producer.

Worked with an aluminum company to defeat unfair state utility legislation.

Lobbied Congress to include and reauthorize a "pro-investment provision" that allows businesses to deduct 100% of their equipment expenses to help stimulate the economy and job growth in 2008 and 2010.

Helped pass cancellation of indebtedness income legislation in the 2010 stimulus bill.

Brownstein worked closely with industry leaders, House Committee on Ways and Means members, Senate Finance Committee members and the Joint Committee on Taxation to solve existing barriers to foreign capital by successfully passing an amendment to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA).

Assisted a large international health care company in protecting patient access to life-sustaining clotting factor treatments by advocating for a limited increase in mandatory price discounts.

Helped garner an exception for "Qualified Mortgages" (i.e., 30 year fixed with 20% down payment, or those with mortgage insurance) from the risk retention provision of the Dodd-Frank bill.

Preserving data protections for costly, research intensive, biological pharmaceutical products; ensuring appropriate reimbursement rates for life sustaining products; and including healthy lifestyle initiatives in the Affordable Care Act.

During the health care reform debate, helped a major pharmaceutical company successfully advocate for a new FDA-approval pathway for follow-on biologic treatments in a way that preserves the United States' competitive edge in biotechnology while ensuring an appropriate balance between investment in new discovery and containing costs to patients.

Worked on behalf of a small biopharmaceutical company to ensure new Medicaid rules would not make it cost-prohibitive to provide its rare-disease medicine to Medicare recipients.

Brownstein, along with a coalition of businesses, successfully convinced Congress to pass legislation granting a five-year carryback for net operating losses. This provision helped Fortune 50 companies to redirect billions of dollars for investment and job creation.

Helped physician owned hospital retain its governing structure in health care reform.

Assisted a small pharmaceutical company in obtaining appropriate reimbursement rates under new health reform law.

Successfully worked with the tobacco industry to equalize federal excise tax rates across similar products. This provision helped finance the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

On behalf of private equity clients, preserved the controlled company exemption under existing NYSE rule in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Amending the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to eliminate frivolous lawsuits against private contractors working on behalf of hundreds of America’s district attorneys.