Peter is counsel in Reed Smith’s State Tax Group. His practice focuses on the resolution of state and local tax controversies through negotiation and litigation. Peter has extensive experience in the area of property tax and real estate transfer tax. He has represented various clients from many different industries, including hotel, telecommunications, oil and gas, power production, shopping centers, professional sports stadiums, sugar refineries, paper manufacturing, and commercial office leasing.
Peter has prosecuted tax appeals before all levels of California's courts, taxing authorities, and county assessment appeals boards. Peter has helped organize the California State Bar's Eagle Lodge West property tax statutory and regulation drafting projects, and he has been consulted as a property tax expert on several legislative bills. He has also been active in representing taxpayers in the California State Board of Equalization's Assessor Handbook and regulation drafting projects. He has also represented clients in several states on state income tax, sales, and use tax, and telecommunications tax matters involving voluntary disclosure agreements ("VDAs"), settlement negotiations, and litigation.
He has advised on and litigated property tax and/or real estate transfer tax matters for a variety of high-profile properties in San Francisco, Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County Alameda County, and Santa Barbara County, including: the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park, the Transamerica Pyramid, Pier 39, the Ferry Building; One Market Street Towers, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel, Candlestick Park, the Clift Hotel, Santana Row, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Watson Cogeneration Power Plant, the Mondrian Hotel, the Four Season Biltmore Hotel, the San Ysidro Ranch, the Sandpiper Golf Course, and the Rancho San Marcos Golf Course. He has also represented several clients on property tax matters relating to geothermal, solar and wind power facilities.
Peter has written and lectured extensively on property tax law and procedure. He served as a law clerk under the Hon. Richard J. Cardamone, within the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals from 1989-1990. Peter graduated, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 1989, where he was articles editor on the Georgetown Law Journal, and received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1985.
