Home > People > Barbara Geisman
Barbara Geisman

Barbara Geisman

Counsel

St. Louis
314 552 6582 314 552 6582 direct


  • OVERVIEW
  • EXPERIENCE
  • INSIGHTS
  • NEWS & EVENTS

INDUSTRIES

PRACTICES

  • Education

    • Washington University School of Law,

      J.D., 2013

      B.A., 1975

    • Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government,

      Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program

  • Admissions

    • Missouri

  • Recognitions

    • Named a "Top 50 Power Player" by St. Louis Magazine, 2006

  • Community

    • East West Gateway Regional Council of Governments

      Board Member (appointed by Mayor Francis G. Slay as a Regional Citizen)

Barbara draws on her extensive background in regional government to counsel clients on the financing, zoning and tax credit issues that crop up in public-private development projects.

As the former Executive Director for Development under Saint Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Barbara spent a decade managing all aspects of the Mayor's economic development policy. She left the Mayor's office in 2010 to attend law school at Washington University. For dozens of large-scale projects involving urban planning, federal grants and tax incentives, Barbara negotiated development strategies and multimillion-dollar budgets while solving a variety of logistical problems, all so developments could successfully advance. She is a licensed architect with more than 30 years of experience in community development.

Since joining Thompson Coburn in 2013, Barbara has assisted the Firm's clients with a number of issues in situations where public and private sector interests interact, including tax increment financings, community improvement districts, real estate tax abatements, historic and low income housing tax credits, zoning and a variety of special projects.

Achievements under St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay

Serving as a key member for several St. Louis developments, including the Peabody Opera House, the Old Post Office, Ballpark Village and the MX retail and entertainment district.

Spearheading the successful passage of the City's $400 million FY2011 budget, which required filling a $46 million gap and conducting intense negotiations with nearly a dozen St. Louis City labor unions.

Helping the city secure nearly $100 million in New Markets Tax Credits.

Spurring the issuance of permits for more than 27,000 new or substantially rehabilitated single-family and multifamily homes.

Thompson Coburn Publications

P3s: Managing risks and rewards

Publications

"P3s: Managing Risks and Rewards";
Association of Corporate Counsel-- St. Louis Chapter Newsletter, July 2015