Brownstein Podcast Series

As Democrats and Republicans in Congress work to reach a deal on the USMCA, trade talks with China have escalated and intensified, with a U.S./China trade meeting set to take place in Washington in early October. Brian Wild moderates a conversation with Ed Royce, Lori Harju, Nadeam Elshami and Russ Sullivan in which they lay out a timeline for passing the USMCA and discuss the probability of negotiating an agreement with China.

From rest and meal periods for hourly employees to independent contractors in the gig economy, Brownstein shareholder Martine Wells and plaintiff’s attorney Brian Gonzales come together across the “v.” to discuss wage and hour trends impacting Colorado employers and employees.

A power shift in the House has completely transformed the nature of congressional oversight. While Congress’ relationship with the president has dominated headlines, deliberate and methodical oversight is having a real impact on private companies. Mark Begich moderates a discussion with Brownstein’s Congressional Oversight & Investigations team, providing an overview on the current landscape and advising on best practices for businesses, corporations and individuals facing a potential investigation.

Despite heightened tension on Capitol Hill, numerous legislative proposals and agreements are inching towards a vote, including the NDAA, USMCA and two spending packages. In a conversation moderated by Mark Begich, Brownstein’s Elizabeth Maier, Brian McKeon and Drew Littman discuss imminent legislation that could receive bipartisan support and explore policy ideas that could materialize into law down the road.

With the first presidential debate nearly upon us, 20 Democratic candidates are about to present their policy platforms to a national audience. Drew Littman moderates a conversation with David Reid, John Sonsalla and Greta Joynes, discussing how the campaign playbook has changed since the 2016 election and offering insight into how the first debate may unfold.

Following the Colorado Supreme Court decision that repealing TABOR is a single subject and Colorado Ballot Initiative #3 can move forward with the Title Board, Shareholder Sarah Mercer and Associate David Meschke break down the decision and discuss what happens next for this much-watched initiative.

As state attorneys general play a more prominent role in policy issues, Shareholders Alissa Gardenswartz and Sarah Mercer discuss recent trends they’re seeing across the country and some examples of consumer protection powers being used in traditional and also creative ways by state AGs to address issues in their states.

Colorado's Initiative #3 seeks to repeal the Tax Payer Bill of Rights, more commonly known in Colorado as TABOR. Brownstein Shareholder Sarah Mercer and Associate David Meschke provide background on the initiative, an overview of the ballot initiative process and insight on what could happen now that the initiative has been appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Earlier this spring, the Trump administration asked judges to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act, setting up another likely Supreme Court battle and raising questions about the future of health insurance for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, the 2018 election brought a "blue wave" to Colorado, with Democrats in full control of state government for the first time in many years. Corporate Department Chair Mike King moderates a discussion with Denver Shareholders Mike Feeley, Sarah Mercer and Darryl Landahl as well as Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel Emily Felder from the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. They analyze the new political order for health care, discuss pending legislation and engage in an open roundtable discussion.

The Treasury Department has released the latest set of regulations providing guidance on investment in the Opportunity Zones created by the Tax Reform Act. Brownstein shareholders Nicole Ament, Greg Berger and Erik Jensen discuss the new regulations and how to structure investment in Opportunity Zones to take advantage of the deferral of capital gains taxes.

With the presidential campaign cycle in full swing, both parties have shown renewed interest in reforming the nation’s health care system. As the House convenes its first Medicare for All hearing, questions remain about the high price tag of the proposal and whether Democratic leadership will actually bring the legislation to a vote. Drew Littman moderates a conversation with Emily Felder, Nadeam Elshami and Jerome Murray, providing insight into the likelihood of a bipartisan bill on health care reform and the future of the Affordable Care Act.

Experts have recently made a startling claim: the United States will need to invest more than $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix its failing infrastructure. Debates over ways to generate revenue — whether to invest in new technology or repair existing systems, and how to achieve infrastructure development without promoting environmental degradation — remain ongoing. Geoff Burr, Greta Joynes and Brian McKeon, in a discussion moderated by Mark Begich, discuss ways the 116th Congress is likely to address infrastructure and the challenges that lie ahead.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been signed by each country’s respective leader, but its fate now rests in the hands of legislators. Past difficulty enforcing NAFTA labor standards have left members of Congress wary and cautious. Mark Begich moderates a conversation with Lori Harju, Milan Dalal, and the newest addition to the Brownstein team, former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce, in which they discuss the trade agreement’s probability of success and shed light on the global impact of it failing.

In this episode of the Finance in Five podcast series, Corporate Shareholders Jay Spader and Mark Oveson take five minutes to discuss how to distinguish different types of junior debt and the accompanying subordination agreements.

Employment Shareholder Lisa Hogan discusses Colorado Senate Bill 85, the Equal Pay For Equal Work Act, with proponent Charlotte Sweeney. Lisa and Charlotte, who tend to be on opposite sides in employment cases, try to unpack the complicated issue of equal pay and the possible impacts of this proposed legislation.

Arts Advocacy Day is a sight to behold: 85 leading national arts organizations and over 450 attendees from 48 different states roam the halls of Congress, meeting with legislators and staff to discuss policy issues affecting the arts community. Brownstein advisor and former Sen. Mark Begich sits down with artists Rita Moreno, Ben Folds and Brian Stokes Mitchell, along with Bob Lynch from Americans for the Arts, to discuss the connection between arts and the economy and the importance of inspiring arts advocacy in the nation’s youth.

With any new Congress comes notable change, and the national defense policy landscape on Capitol Hill is no exception. These changes bring new questions: What can we expect to see from a new dynamic in the House Armed Services Committee? Will the National Defense Authorization Act spur unprecedented conflict, and how much opportunity will there be to add new riders to the bill? Moderator Greta Joynes teams up Ari Zimmerman and Barry Jackson to answer these questions and more.

The 2020 campaign season is finally upon us, and the Democratic field is beginning to take shape. Scores of presidential hopefuls have already announced their candidacy, and the campaign trail is heating up in early voting states like Iowa and South Carolina. John Sonsalla moderates a conversation between Democrats Drew Littman and David Reid, along with Republican Elizabeth Maier, in which they tackle pressing issues, such as ways Leader McConnell will use his powers to target Democratic senators seeking the nomination.

Ben Folds is known for being a talented musician and songwriter, but he also performs a vital role for the music community as an arts advocate. Ben’s an active member of the Artist Committee of Americans For The Arts, a leading nonprofit arts advocacy organization that Brownstein partners with. In a conversation with Drew Littman, Ben discusses his experience navigating the political arena and talks about how issues important to the arts community can transcend party lines.

Big tech companies face increased scrutiny from a new Congress eager to address concerns over fair competition and consumer data protection. Al Mottur and Greta Joynes, in a conversation moderated by Drew Littman, explain the “tech-lash” against big Silicon Valley companies. Al and Greta address the many issues confronting tech titans in this new era of heightened regulation, including congressional oversight which could be affected by 2020 campaigns.