Jerome Hafter Email & Phone Number

I practice in the areas of business and corporate law, agricultural law, biotechnology, merger and acquisition transactions, bankruptcy, taxation, casinos and gaming law, intellectual property licensing, energy and environmental law, real property and commercial litigation.I also am a former outside general counsel to the world’s largest cotton seed company.

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  Senior Partner

  Phelps Dunbar Llp

  2004 - Present - Jackson, Mississippi Area

  - Representation of U.S. companies in establishing joint ventures and other business entities in non-U.S. countries including Peoples Republic of China, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and Singapore.- Representation of venture capital funds in acquisition of debt and equity positions in cutting-edge companies.- Lead counsel in Mississippi for major wind farm developer.- Lead counsel in financing and merger transactions for river-based casinos.- Negotiation of numerous patent and technology licenses with international chemical and genetic-engineering companies.- Lead outside counsel in liquidation of agricultural loan portfolio of regional federal land bank in its receivership.- Constitutional challenge before the Mississippi Supreme Court of assessment of business real property, equipment and inventories at a higher percentage ratio to its true value than other types of property, after which on request of the Mississippi Legislature he drafted new provisions of the Mississippi Constitution on classification of property for ad valorem taxation (constitutional amendment adopted in state general election).- Successful challenge before the Mississippi Supreme Court of the Mississippi State Tax Commission’s allocation procedure employed in assessment of property taxes of multi-state utilities.- Redrafted on behalf of multi-state industrial taxpayers Mississippi franchise tax assessment statutes (adopted by the Mississippi Legislature).- Drafted current Mississippi law on assessment of Affordable Rental Housing constructed under Section 42 of the IRC and defense of assessment disputes.- Obtained Property Tax abatements and reductions of assessments for numerous national, state and local clients.