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Jim Snyder is head of the Illinois Municipal Finance Group. He acts as bond counsel and disclosure counsel to hundreds of governmental entities throughout the state of Illinois, including school districts, cities, villages, counties, park districts and special districts and as underwriters counsel to dozens of municipal bond underwriters.

Jim regularly serves clients on municipal finance transactions including issuers of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, special service area bonds, tax increment bond bonds, industrial development revenue bonds, multifamily housing bonds and Section 501(c)(3) revenue bonds. Jim is a frequent speaker on public finance issues and is a Board Member of the Council of Development Finance Authorities and has acted as a member of the Steering Committee for the National Association of Bond Lawyers Bond Attorney Workshop. Jim was also named The Best Lawyers® 2016 “Lawyer of the Year” for Public Finance Law.

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Representative Transactions
  • Bond counsel on numerous school district, county, village, city and park district and other traditional bond financings including debt certificates, general obligation bonds and alternate revenue bonds
  • Bond counsel on several tax increment financing bond issues throughout the State of Illinois
  • Bond counsel on numerous manufacturing and economic development transactions involving the Illinois Finance Authority
  • Bond counsel on numerous multifamily housing bond issues in Illinois
Speaking Engagements
  • "Legal Quick Hit on Tax Increment Financing and Special Service Areas," ACC Real Estate Network, June 2021
  • "Let's Take Another Look at Pension Obligation Bonds" - 2021 IGFOA Annual Conference, June 2021
  • Webcast: "Pension Obligation Bond Funding" - Lauterbach & Amen, LLP, March 16, 2021
  • Webcast: "Debt Institute" - Illinois Government Finance Officers Association, October 15, 2020
  • Webcast: "Public Sector Short-Term Financing Options in the COVID-19 Environment," April 27, 2020
  • "Performance Services" - Building and Borrowing: Current Trends in the Municipal Market, January 30, 2020
  • "Bond Finance and Use of Publice/Private Partnerships for Park Districts" - Illinois Association of Park Districts, January 24, 2020
  • "Opportunity Zones" - Illinois Municipal League 106th Conference, September 19, 2019
  • "Why So Many TIF Districts?" - 2019 Illinois ASBO Annual Conference, May 2-3, 2019
  • "Current Smart City P3 Projects: A Deeper Dive" - Ice Miller LLP Webinar, April 10, 2019 
  • "Economic Development Incentives" - South Suburban Economic Development Incentives Event, March 7, 2019
  • "Anatomy of an Illinois City or Village Bond Issue - Steps Involved" - Illinois Government Finance Officers Association, February 22, 2019
  • "Conduit Financing through Connecticut Green Bank," - CDFA Bond Finance 101 Webinar, February 4, 2019
  • "Underwriters and Municipal Advisors - Life In Public Finance after Recent SEC Rule Changes," Illinois Government Finance Officers Association, October 11, 2018
  • "Alternative Revenue and Resources for Services," Council for Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), June 21, 2018
  • "Selling Illinois School Bonds Now and in the Future," 2018 Illinois ASBO Annual Conference, May 3-4, 2018
  • "Why Should You Care About Disclosure," 2018 Illinois ASBO Annual Conference, May 3-4 2018
  • "Common (or Not so Common) Debt Covenant Issues," Illinois CPA Society Government Conference, May 1, 2018
  • "Multi-State TIF Comparisons (Indiana/Illinois/Ohio/Wisconsin)," Illinois Tax Increment Association, April 4, 2018
  • "Financing Solutions for the Illinois Housing Market,"  CDFA Illinois Financing Roundtable, May 2, 2017
  • "Financing Water Infrastructure in Illinois," CDFA Illinois Financing Roundtable, May 19, 2016
  • “Tax Increment Financing,” CDFA National Development Finance Summit, November 3-6, 2015
  • "Nuts and Bolts of New Market Tax Credit and Other Tax Credits," NABL 38th Annual Bond Attorneys' Workshop, September 25-27, 2013
  • "Municipal Bonds 101," discussion panel for U.S. House and Senate staffers involved with the federal tax-exemption sponsored by the Municipal Bond Dealers of America, August 8, 2013
  • "Best Practices: Engaging Independent Financial Advisors," CDFA National Development Finance Summit, August 6-9, 2013
  • "Combining TIF with Other Public/Private Tools to Get the Project Built," ITIA 2013 Spring Conference, April 17-19, 2013
  • "Structuring the Deal -Combining and Leveraging Other Tools With Bonds," CDFA Bond Finance Webcourse, Jan. 29-30, 2013
  • "Combining and Leveraging TIF With Other Tools," CDFA IL Financing Roundtable Webcast, Dec. 10, 2012
  • "Combining New Markets Tax Credits, and Other Tax Credits with Tax Exempt Bonds," NABL 37th Annual Bond Attorneys' Workshop, Oct. 24-25, 2012
  • "Tax Increment Finance in Combination With Other Tools," CDFA Intro to Tax Increment Finance Webinar Course, Sept. 19, 2012
  • "Underwriting the Economic Development of Tomorrow Today," CDFA Roundtable Conference at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 8, 2011
  • "Tax Increment Finance in Combination With Other Tools," CDFA Intro to Tax Increment Finance Webinar Course, Nov. 11, 2011
  • "Tax Credits in Combination With Other Tools," CDFA Intro to Tax Increment Finance Course, Washington DC, Aug. 12, 2011
  • "Municipal Finance: New Tools for Local Leaders in 2011," 13th Annual Illinois Leadership Conference University of Illinois Extension June 15, 2011 Champaign, Illinois
  • "Tax Increment Finance: Beyond Traditional TIF," CDFA 2011 Annual Development Finance Summit, May 12, 2011, Boston, MA.
  • "Understanding Your TIF Statute" CDFA Tax Increment Finance Coalition-Webcast Series, April 5-7, 2011.
  • "The Role of Bond Counsel," CDFA Intro Bond Finance Course, March 11, 2011, Washington D.C.
  • "Understanding Your TIF Statute," CDFA Advanced Tax Increment Finance Course, Aug. 5-6, 2010 Washington D.C.
  • "Maximizing TIF by Combining Tools," CDFA Advanced Tax Increment Finance Course, Aug. 5-6, 2010 Washington D.C.
  • "Understanding TIF Bond Finance," CDFA Introduction to Tax Increment Finance Course, Aug. 3-4, 2010, Washington D.C.
  • "Recovery Zone Bonds and Other New Financing Tools Under the Stimulus Act," CDFA Advanced Bond Finance Course, Portland, OR, May 10, 2010
  • "Maximizing TIF by Combining Tools," 21st Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference, March 3, 2010
  • "Maximizing the Financial Impact of the New Federal Stimulus Law - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Financing Seminar - Recovery Zone Bonds," IGFOA Career Development Debt Management Seminar, Jan. 14, 2010
  • "Understanding Your TIF Statute," The Advanced Tax Increment Finance Course, Nov. 19-20, 2009
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