Best Lawyers® 2016, 2020 and 2024 Indianapolis Tax Law "Lawyer of the Year"

Best Lawyers® 2019 Indianapolis Litigation and Controversy - Tax Law "Lawyer of the Year"

American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell, 2016 Top Rated Lawyer in Entertainment Law

Mark Richards is a tax partner at Ice Miller LLP with over 35 years of federal and state tax experience, most notably in the area of state taxation.  
 
Mark serves on the Advisory Board of State Tax Notes, is the past chair of the Tax Policy Committee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Tax Section of the Indianapolis Bar Association, and he is a 30+ year member of the Tax Committees of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Indiana Manufacturer’s Association.  Mark served as the chair of the Tax Section at Ice Miller.  Mark is also an associate member of the Council on State Taxation (“COST”), a member of the independent state tax alliance  (www.ISAnetwork.com), and a member of the Tax Sections of the American Bar Association (“ABA”), Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Associations.  Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and also a member of the Board of Directors, as well as General Counsel and Secretary, of the Indiana Legal Foundation, Inc. Mark also serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute.

Mark has been repeatedly recognized for his work as a tax lawyer, as he has received multiple recognitions in The Best Lawyers in America© and Indiana Super Lawyers.  Mark has continuously maintained a Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating for over 25 years.

Mark helps clients with federal and state tax planning in the structuring of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, expansions, reorganizations, wholesale and retail transactions, online sales, private letter rulings, settlement agreements, and a variety of other transactions. 

Mark has extensive experience in resolving federal and state tax controversies for public companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, as well as family owned businesses and other private enterprises, and individual taxpayers.  Mark has extensive experience litigating Indiana tax disputes in the Indiana Tax Court, and Mark has also litigated in the Indiana trial courts, Court of Appeals, and the Indiana Supreme Court, as well as cases in the United States Tax Court, District Courts, and Court of Appeals.

Mark is involved in the drafting of Indiana tax statutes, testifying on tax legislation before the Indiana General Assembly, seeking advisory letters, letter rulings, voluntary disclosure agreements, and a variety of settlement and other agreements, and working with the Indiana Department of Revenue, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, and the Office of Management and Budget on various tax issues and tax policy matters.

Mark has assisted clients in numerous industries, including sports and entertainment, consumer products, automotive, retail, hospitality, printing, financial institutions, medical, telecommunications, technology, recycling, manufacturing, and gaming.

Mark is a frequent speaker on the subject of Indiana taxation. He is a regular speaker on tax programs offered by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Chapter of Tax Executives Institute, the Indiana CPA Society, and the Ohio Tax Conference, and Mark has spoken at national conferences for COST and the Tax Section of the ABA.  Mark is also a lead author of the Indiana Taxation Handbook, a publication authored by the lawyers at Ice Miller LLP for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. 

As part of his practice, Mark has had the opportunity and privilege to represent many renowned motorsports organizations and athletes, as well as sponsors, coaches, schools and sports organizations outside of motor racing, including those participating in the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.   Mark was honored with the TRAC Star Award in 2015 for his lifetime achievement in the racing industry. The award is given annually at The Racing Attorney Conference presented by the Indianapolis Bar Association Sports and Entertainment Law Section and the North Carolina Bar Association.

Mark is also a former member of the Board of Directors and officer of the 500 Festival, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation which operates many high profile events in Indianapolis in the month of May, including among others the Mini-Marathon, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Parade, and the Snake Pit Ball. 

Mark joined Ice Miller in 1985 after graduating from law school. He is admitted to practice law in the state of Indiana.