Windy City Expansion: Miller Canfield Bolsters Public Finance Practice with Top Talent from Ice Miller

In a strategic move to strengthen its presence in the competitive Illinois market, the Detroit-based international law firm Miller Canfield has welcomed five seasoned public finance attorneys from Ice Miller. This influx of talent, led by industry veterans James Snyder, Austin Root, Mark Huddle, Shelly Scinto, and Kathleen Thomas, aligns with the firm's growth strategy and its commitment to expanding its expertise in specific practice areas, such as school districts.

Forging a Powerful Public Finance Team in the Heart of Chicago

Aligning Expertise and Culture

Miller Canfield's CEO, Mike Palizzi, expressed his enthusiasm for the new hires, stating that the group "fits the mold of our public finance group." The firm's public finance group leader, Tom Colis, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the seamless fit between the new team and Miller Canfield's collaborative culture. "We hit it off both in terms of their expertise and practice, and we also hit it off on all cylinders when it came to their culture and approach to things," Colis said. "They're the same type of people we are. So it was an easy call."

Strengthening the Illinois Presence

The addition of the five public finance attorneys from Ice Miller is a strategic move by Miller Canfield to bolster its presence in the Illinois market. Colis emphasized that the firm's goal has always been to strengthen and broaden its foothold in this competitive landscape. "A lot of our culture here is, we like to practice together; we don't like to be on islands," he explained. "So we're a very collaborative group. And over time, in working on various transactions across the country, we've actually worked with a lot of the folks at Ice Miller, and had the opportunity to work with a number of the [people who are] joining us. So we had some familiarity already, with respect to the people and their quality."

Fostering Synergies Across the Chicago Office

The new hires have already begun to create synergies within the Chicago office, expanding opportunities for other groups and fostering "connectivity and more discussions" beyond what was possible before. Colis expressed his excitement about the potential for the entire office to benefit from this influx of talent, stating, "I think it's really an opportunity to enhance the whole office as opposed to just the group."

Introducing the Powerhouse Team

The five public finance attorneys joining Miller Canfield bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the firm's growing practice.James Snyder, a 30-year veteran of the municipal bond market, has served as bond counsel and disclosure counsel to hundreds of Illinois issuers, from school districts to park districts to cities to counties. He has also represented major municipal bond underwriters. Snyder's accolades include being named the 2016 Lawyer of the Year for Public Finance Law by Best Lawyers and a Band 1 Leading Lawyer for Public Finance by Chambers USA.Austin Root, a 2016 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, has acted as bond counsel and disclosure counsel to a variety of Illinois local governments, as well as underwriters counsel to various investment banks in the municipal market. His specialties include general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, tax increment bonds, industrial development revenue bonds, and 501(c)(3) bonds, as well as securities and disclosure law, economic development tools, and capital requirements.Mark Huddle has extensive experience as bond counsel, underwriters counsel, issuer's counsel, and disclosure counsel for a range of clients. He also counsels those in the P3 space, and has worked on contract procurement, economic development and tax incentive programs, zoning and land use, and with nonprofit organizations. Huddle earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois and M.F.A. from the University of Chicago, and served as principal staff assistant for environmental and public works matters for former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson.Shelly Scinto has served as lead counsel on more than 350 bond transactions for school districts, park districts, villages, cities, and other governmental entities. She earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and is a member of the Illinois Association of School Boards Service Associates, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, and the Illinois Association of Park Districts.Kathleen Thomas joins Miller Canfield as municipal disclosure administrator for the public finance group, leveraging her experience as a municipal finance advisor and investment banker, with particular expertise in disclosure in municipal bond transactions.