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 his industry-unique combination of skills and strong dedication to purpose.

Before founding Equity Property Tax Group in 2007, 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 taxes. 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

• Public REITs with full integration into asset management, accounting, accrual management, AP, acquisition and legal groups
• Property tax service outsourcing for holding company
• 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
• Purchase price allocations — real, personal and intangible
• Bank REO portfolio, repositioned value/taxes to market
• Private lender foreclosure, commenced action triggering three years of refunds
• Public REIT providing senior management analysis on in-source and outsource solutions to managing function
• 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, preparation of senior management education materials and interviewing of 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, assembling team and reducing valuation by stipulation at board, avoiding court proceedings
• Reviewed tax accruals for public company, writing down $5 million+
• Unreported tax liabilities issues resolved for public company failing 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 methodology, processes and systems utilized to identify tax appeal opportunities having a high probability of success, resulting in the filing of more than 5,500 appeals, closure of more than 2,500 actions and 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 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

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) — Fellow, 2013
• The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE), 2004
• Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (CMI), 1992

Honors

• University of Colorado — Authored Centennial Theme

Professional Associations

• International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO)
• Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT)
• National Property Taxpayers Association (NPTA) — Co-Founder and 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
• Lenape Farms, Inc. — Board of Directors (Past)

Presentations

• Protecting Assets in a Time of Challenging Valuations
  ICSC Asset Management Conference, 2014
• Future of Property Taxation
  Institute for Professionals in Taxation, 2013
• 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, California, 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

Published Articles

• 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