Practice Expertise

  • Economic Development
  • International and Cross Border
  • Economic Incentives
  •  

Areas of Practice

  • Economic Development
  • Economic Incentives
  • International and Cross Border
  •  

Profile

Since 1987, Alex Leath’s law practice has primarily focused on economic development, site selection and incentive negotiation. From the start of his career working as part of the team to recruit Mercedes-Benz to Alabama, Alex has had a significant role in projects of all scopes and sizes for companies, including Airbus/EADS, Audi, Boeing, Booz|Allen|Hamilton, Canoo, Daiken, Dollar General, Form Energy, Georgia-Pacific, Honda, Isuzu, Northrop Grumman, Ogihara, Panasonic, Qualitest, Raytheon, REHAU, Rockwool International, RxBenefits, Tesla, Thyssenkrupp, Torch Technologies, Toyo Tire, Toyota, VF Corporation, Vinfast, Volkswagen and one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies. Excluding his work on the search for the second headquarters for the e-commerce company, Alex has worked on projects in 35 states that have invested over $50 billion and created over 45,000 jobs.

Among the many successes Alex has achieved for his clients in over 34 years, 2008, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022 were particularly rewarding years. Site Selection magazine recognized the Volkswagen Passat project in Tennessee as one of the “Top Deals of 2008 in North America.” Site Selection magazine also recognized the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada and the Volkswagen Atlas SUV project in Tennessee as two of its “Top 10 Business Deals of 2015 in North America.” In 2018, the second headquarters project for the e-commerce company was named “Deal of the Year” in numerous economic development publications. In 2020, Site Selection magazine recognized the Volkswagen EV project in Tennessee as one of the “Top Deals of 2020 in North America.” In 2021, the EV startup Canoo announced a multi-facility project in Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas that projects the creation of 2,500 jobs. And in 2022, the Vietnamese startup Vinfast announced an EV and battery manufacturing campus outside of Raleigh, North Carolina that projects the creation of 6,000 jobs, and Panasonic announced its first stand-alone battery manufacturing facility outside of Kansas City, Kansas that projects the creation of 4,000 jobs. Alex and his team worked on all of these projects.

Through his economic development practice, Alex and his team provide legal and consulting services during all phases of the site selection, incentive negotiation, and incentive implementation process. Alex assists with labor analysis, logistics analysis, cost modeling, tax structuring, real estate acquisition, environmental review, and a myriad of other issues that arise during the process of developing a project in North America.

Alex and his team strive to empower clients by lending their experience to all stages of project development. From the outset, they begin the process of identifying the location that is most profitable for the company. They routinely assist the client’s site selection team in every aspect related to a new project or expansion, including real estate, tax, governmental, planning and zoning, environmental, permitting, financing, labor and employment, and construction matters.

Bar Admissions

  • Alabama, 1987

Education

  • University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 1987
  • New York University School of Law, LL.M. (Taxation), 1988
  • Wake Forest University, B.A., 1984

Areas of Practice

  • Economic Development
  • Economic Incentives
  • International and Cross Border

Blogs

It Pays to Be Covered

Bradley's It Pays to Be Covered Blog discusses insurance law developments and industry trends in property and casualty insurance, including the growing cyber insurance market, coverage for drones, and blockchain exposures. We also address practical risk management strategies of interest to risk managers, legal staff, and corporate officers and directors responsible for property and casualty insurance policy portfolios, claims management, and resolution. Our attorneys provide insights based on...

Patent 213

Patent law, like most things in life, is subject to change. Changes to patent laws not only impact investment in your existing IP, but directly shape strategies to protect your freedom to operate. The Patent 213 blog provides up-to-date, insightful analysis of the evolution in the written description and enablement requirements of 35 USC 112 and the subject matter eligibility requirements of 35 USC 101. The Patent 213 blog analyzes key decisions from the district courts and the Federal Circuit,...

The Law of Order

Bradley’s The Law of Order blog serves as a general parliamentary procedure resource, providing information about creation and revision of governing documents (constitutions, bylaws, or rules), application of Robert’s Rules of Order and other procedural authorities in a variety of contexts (such as nonprofits, political parties, homeowners associations, unions, churches, trade associations), and leadership of any type of organizational meeting. In an effort to make all things parliamentary more...

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