Bowles Rice is pleased to welcome the return of Robert S. Kiss, former Cabinet Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Revenue, to the firm’s Charleston office. Kiss will focus his legal practice in the areas of tax, estate planning and commercial law.
Kiss left Bowles Rice in 2013, to serve in the Earl Ray Tomblin administration. As Cabinet Secretary, he oversaw 10 agencies, including Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, Athletic Commission, State Budget Office, Division of Financial Institutions, Insurance Commissioner’s Office, Lottery Commission, Municipal Bond Commission, Office of Tax Appeals, Racing Commission and State Tax Division. He presided as the state budget director and was the governor’s designee for the Board of Treasury Investments, where he served as chairman of the Investment Committee; the Water Development Board; the West Virginia Housing Development Fund; and the Early Childhood Planning Task Force. He was also chairman of the Investment Management Board.
Kiss first joined Bowles Rice in 2006, after serving 19 years in the West Virginia House of Delegates. He served as Speaker of the House from 1997 to 2006 and House Finance Chairman from 1993 to 1996. Pursuant to his Legislative duties, he was extensively involved in more than a decade of major economic and fiscal legislation including the West Virginia School Building Authority; water and sewer infrastructure development; state tax policy; state health care plans including PEIA and Medicaid; state retirement systems; the workers’ compensation system; and the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) legislation.
“We are excited to welcome Bob home to Bowles Rice,” said Managing Partner Tom Heywood. “His contributions to the State throughout his career are enormous, and speak for themselves. We look forward to Bob contributing to the success of our clients and the vitality of our communities for many years to come.”
Bob has been recognized in the areas of tax law and trusts and estate law by Best Lawyers in America. He is admitted to practice law in West Virginia, Ohio and Florida and received his law degree from the Ohio State University College of Law.
