Frost, Brian

Ed is both a lawyer and a certified public accountant, and has fifteen years of experience practicing as a tax professional. Ed's practice is focused in the areas of project development and tax-driven business transactions.

Ed is preeminent in the area of project development in New York State, assisting private businesses and developers with assembling incentives packages and financing for expansion, relocation, and retention projects. Ed's project development experience includes transactions involving Industrial Development Agencies, New York State tax credits (including the Empire Zones Program, Brownfield Cleanup Program, and Qualified Emerging Technology Company credits), New York City tax credits (including the Relocation and Employment Assistance Program), and Federal tax credits (including low-income housing credits, new markets tax credits, empowerment zone / renewal community tax credits, and historic rehabilitation tax credits), as well as real property tax relief under the exemption provisions of the New York Real Property Tax Law, and New York City's newly-enacted Industrial, Commercial Abatement Program.

Ed is recognized across New York as an expert in the Empire Zones Program, with extensive experience in assisting private taxpayers in accessing the Program, assisting local municipalities in implementing the Program, drafting and reviewing proposed legislative changes to the Program, and requesting and drafting interpretive opinions from various State agencies regarding the Program.

In addition to his project development practice, Ed counsels clients on tax-driven business transactional matters involving like-kind exchanges, corporate reorganizations, partnership tax issues, and commercial real estate transactions with significant tax and financial implications. Ed also represents clients in tax controversy matters involving Federal income tax, as well as New York income, franchise, excise, and transfer taxes. Ed represents clients before the U.S. Tax Court, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Ed's representative list of clients includes large and small manufacturers, food processors, insurance companies, utility companies, professional service firms, specialty financing companies, national retail operators, pharmaceutical companies, real estate developers, construction companies, shipping companies, resort operators, municipalities and their affiliated economic development organizations, and charitable organizations.

Following is Ed's professional experience prior to joining the Firm:

• Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, Rochester and New York City, 2006 – 2008
• Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester and New York City, 2000 – 2005
• Freed Maxick Sachs & Murphy, PC, Buffalo, 1998 – 2000
• Arthur Andersen, New York City, 1995 - 1997
• Ernst & Young, LLP/Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group, New York City, 1994 - 1995
• Margolin Winer & Evens LLP, Long Island, 1993 - 1994

Ed is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, and the New York State Economic Development Council.

Ed resides in Fairport with his wife Mary and daughters Amanda, Sophia, and Elena.