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Mark Huddle is a Senior Counsel in the Municipal Finance Group at Ice Miller. He regularly acts as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and issuer’s counsel in public finance transactions for public and private issuers in Illinois, including school districts, municipalities, airport authorities, solid waste and recycling facilities, and manufacturers.
 
In addition, he counsels both public and private entities (including public and private partnerships, or "P3") on municipal and state governmental matters. Matters include economic development and tax incentive programs, tax increment financing, MBE / WBE certifications, contract procurement, purchase of municipally owned property, real estate tax abatements, zoning and land use, liquor and medical marijuana licensing, regulatory matters, and litigation. He also counsels privately held businesses and not-for-profit organizations regarding corporate and real estate development matters.
 
Mark has counseled clients regarding cannabis licensing and operations since the beginning of legal cannabis in Illinois. He advised the only successful minority-owned cannabis applicant in the medical cannabis program, helping the client to win a dispensary license and a cultivation license. Recently, he guided two social equity recreational cannabis applicants in winning three dispensary licenses. Mark and the cannabis team at Ice Miller have also provided regulatory, corporate, real estate, intellectual property, and other counseling to cannabis companies, including regarding private equity and asset sales.
 
Previously, Mark was a staff assistant for environmental matters and for the “Build Illinois” public works program in the Office of Illinois Governor James R. Thompson. He graduated cum laude from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 1981, received his juris doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1992, and earned an M.F.A. in 1994 from the University of Chicago.  In addition to maintaining an active painting studio and singing in the St. Paul’s UCC choir, Mark is a second-degree black belt in Shidokan Karate, and occasionally acts on stage and in movies.
Selected Experience
  • Represented a multi-national container shipping company in federal litigation and also in proceedings before the Illinois Commerce Commission with respect to a transportation dispute with a municipality in North America's largest intermodal facility.
  • Represented a major convention center in easement negotiations with a hotel.
  • Represented a national mulch manufacturer in state regulatory proceedings. 
  • Represented a developer of affordable senior housing in a $20 million transaction involving tax increment finance, tax credits, and Illinois Housing Development Authority bond, grants, and loans.
  • Represented a medical cannabis company in Illinois and nationally with respect to license applications and regulatory and corporate issues.
  • Prepared liquor, food, and business license applications for hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs; addressed ongoing licensing issues with regulators, including contesting revocation proceedings before the Illinois Liquor Commission.
  • Represented a major media company in obtaining tax increment finance incentives and property tax abatement in the Village of Homewood.
  • Represented a suburban school district in negotiations regarding termination of a tax increment finance district, and another district with respect to extension of tax benefits for Sears in Hoffman Estates.
  • Represented a cell tower company in negotiations with the City of Chicago regarding real estate tax issues.
  • Acted as bond or underwriter's counsel in numerous transactions, including for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, City of Chicago, County of DuPage, the Chicago School Finance Authority, Cicero, Channahon, Sauk Village, River Grove, Broadview, Cicero, Bolingbrook, Prospect Heights, Stone Park, South Elgin, Proviso Township School District 209, and Cicero School District 99.
  • Acted as bond, issuer, borrower's or underwriter's counsel in Illinois Finance Authority bond transactions, including Columbia College Chicago, Ozinga Brothers, Plochman, Inc., CGH Medical Center, Northern Illinois University, WBEZ, and Three Crowns Park.
  • Represented numerous clients in land use and zoning proceedings, including a major Chicago area golf course in the Village of Romeoville, a car dealership in the Village of Matteson, and a multi-national oil company in the Village of Lincolnshire.
  • Represented a shipping company, a manufacturer and a school district in various state legislative matters.
  • Represented clients, including a Chicago-area planning agency and an association of Chicago  area municipalities, in a variety of contract procurement matters.
  • Coordinated the purchase of City of Chicago-owned property for a community healthcare clinic developer, a Chicago theater company and a restaurant franchisee.
Firm Publications
Blog Posts
Published In
  • Illinois Municipal League Magazine: Financing Options Using Bonds for Illinois Cities and Villages - Part 1
Speaking Engagements
  • "Opportunity Zones" Panel Presentation, Illinois Municipal League, September 2019
  • "TIF and P3 Economic Development Tools for Local Government" South Suburban Economic Development Conference, March 2019
  • "Essentials of Debt Issuance" Illinois Government Finance Officers Association, March 2019
  • "Common (or Not so Common) Debt Covenant Issues," Illinois CPA Society Government Conference, May 2, 2018 
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