With more than 30 years of experience in real estate, finance and taxes, Norman Quinn is highly skilled in creating and executing tax policies and strategies. He has worked nationally with clients to improve profitability, cost control, transparency and reporting in operationally challenged environments. Norm combines a strong background in real estate ownership with valuation knowledge and property tax matters. Clients benefit from this industry-unique combination of skills and a strong dedication to purpose.

Before founding Equity Property Tax Group, Norman spent seven years as vice president of property taxes for Equity Office Properties Trust in Chicago. He also was founder and president of its subsidiary, Equity Property Tax Group LLC.  Operating through its various subsidiaries and affiliates, Equity Office Properties Trust was the nation's largest publicly held office building owner and manager with interests in 581 buildings in 16 states and the District of Columbia. His group was a captive consulting company that serviced its parent as well as other non-related entities until the Blackstone acquisition/sell off of assets.

Norman managed a staff that saved clients in excess of $44.5 million annually in tax savings.  Prior to Equity Office Properties Trust, he spent 18 years with Equity Group Investments Inc., and its predecessors in Chicago in various capacities, including internal audit, mortgage services, and property taxes. Equity Group was controlled by the investment interests of Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie.

Outsourced Tax Solutions Assignments

• Purchase Price allocations for trophy office asset
• Public REITs with full integration into asset management, accounting, accrual management, AP, acquisition and legal groups
• Real estate/manufacturing groups without internal resources
• Abatement and incentives analysis for large mixed use redevelopment
• Due diligence/tax projections on mixed use trophy asset acquisition
• Asset Manager requested review of existing tax representation contract,  performance, filings and competitive asset comparisons
• Hotel purchase price allocations
• Bank REO portfolio, repositioned value/taxes to market, researched tax history on troubled assets
• Private lender foreclosure, commenced action triggering three years of refunds
• Provided analysis to senior management on moving the tax function in-house
• Prepared tax talking points for COO national industry meeting

In-House Tax Department Support Assignments

• Centralized national reporting systems, AP, appeals, management of vendors, and providing ongoing advice for senior tax officer
• Appeal strategies, timelines, prepared senior management education materials,  interviewed experts for anticipated tax appeals
• On behalf of Big Box Retail, developed low-cost model for reducing assessments, implemented in two states and transferred to client for national platform.
• Personal property reverse audit focusing on exemptions for process functions triggering three-year refunds
• Acquisition due diligence, including purchase price allocations 
• Software systems review, with AP options
• Retail valuation problem location — assembled team and reduced valuation by stipulation at board, avoiding court proceedings
• Reviewed tax accruals for public company, write down $5 million
• Unreported tax liabilities issues resolved for public company that failed to file compliance returns
• Identified and vetted local tax providers for client
• Met with client's industry peers to align national appeal issues for asset class

Additional Representative Experience

• Designed, developed and implemented the methodology, processes and systems utilized to identify tax appeal opportunities having a high probability of success and which resulted in the filing of more than 5,500 appeals, the closure of more than 2,500 actions and the generation of more than $180 million in savings.
• Enabled client to grow from a marginal player in the commercial real estate market into the largest REIT in the world by conducting the tax due diligence, modeling and planning associated with more than 500 acquisitions and dispositions, including public and private mergers.
• Reduced assessed valuations on client properties in Santa Clara County (California) by $500 million and the associated tax liability by approximately $50 million/year by orchestrating a campaign that employed independent experts to develop a methodology for valuating REIT properties that has become the operational model for the industry.
• Built in-house turnkey tax department for client, including staffing, training, national service contracts, computer and management reporting systems.
• Created client opportunity through aggressive adherence to tax procedures that resulted in more than $2 million in waived liabilities. Claim affirmed by local appeal board, case without precedent.
• Facilitated clients obtaining tax incremental financings (TIFs) and other jurisdictional incentives, including the then-largest ICIP credit in the history of New York City (Verizon Building).

Certifications

• The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE), 2004
• Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (CMI), 1992

Professional Associations

• International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO)
• Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT)
• National Property Taxpayers Association (NPTA) — Co-Founder/Acting Principal 
• National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) — Property Tax Task Force of State and Local Tax Committee, Former Co-Chair
• Chicago Chamber of Commerce (CCC) — Former Industry Task Force
• Chicago Development Council Tax Committee (CDC) — Former Tax Task Force
• Chicago Building Owners and Management Association (BOMA) — Former Property Tax Task Force and successor Tax Committee

Civic Activities

• American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) — Former Referee

Memberships

• Lenape Farms Inc. — Board of Directors (2006-13)
  In 2012, Lenape created the largest tract of environmentally protected land in the history of the state of New Jersey.

Honors

•  Authored Centennial Theme for the University of Colorado

Publications

• "Considering Changing the Property Tax System," Real Estate Review, 2004
• "Branding and Real Estate: Implications for Property Taxation," Journal of Property Tax Management, 2000
• "Property Tax Issues REIT's, Capitalization Rates and Valuation," Journal of Property Tax Management, 1994
• "Real Estate Taxes: Fixed or Variable," Real Estate Issues, Fall/Winter 1989

Presentations

• "Property Tax Assessments," Building Owners and Managers Association Ask the Expert Workshop, Chicago, 2012
• "Property Tax Updates for Cook County," Realty Club of Chicago, 2012
• "Secrets of Successful Property Tax Appeals," Media Finance Focus Annual Conference, Las Vegas, 2012
• "Property Tax Issues, 2011 Looking into 2012," Chicago Tax Club, Chicago, 2012
• "BOMA Illinois Property Tax School," Chicago, 2011
• "Administering the Property Tax Function," Property Tax Symposium, Institute for Professionals in Taxation, Indian Wells, Calif., 2007
• "A View of 2006 Office Market Trends and Their Impact on Property Taxation," Institute for Professionals in Taxation, 2005
• "The Sleeping Giant of Public Finance: A Forum on Cook County Property Taxes and the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board," The Civic Federation Forum, 2002
• "Branding and Real Estate: Implications for Property Taxation," Institute of Property Taxation, 2000
• "A Road Map for the Taxable Valuation of Securitized Real Estate," American Property Tax Counsel Seminar, 1998
• "Real Estate Investment Trusts," Institute for Property Taxation, 1998
• "Impact of REIT Acquisitions on Property Taxes," American Property Tax Counsel Seminar, 1997
• "Pitfalls of Real Estate Taxation, Alternative Acquisition Structures Impact on Property Taxes — Single and Multi Locations Acquisitions," NAREIT Conference, 1997
• "Office Buildings: The Income Approach," Institute of Property Taxation,  1995
• "Real Estate Markets and Tax Issues," Institute of Property Taxation, 1992