Justin P. Markey

Justin focuses his practice on public law and public finance. He frequently serves his clients – municipalities, townships, counties, port authorities, school districts, transit authorities, and other public authorities – as bond counsel and issuer’s counsel for public and private debt issues, and has acted as bond counsel for transactions totaling billions of dollars.  Justin also frequently serves as underwriter’s counsel to municipal underwriters in connection with public offerings and private placements of municipal debt.

Clients appreciate Justin’s drive and commitment to meeting their goals and count on him to guide them through the complexities and legal requirements of public finance transactions. Equally important, they know that he will close their deals on schedule and on budget.

In addition to his public finance practice, Justin has particular strengths in advising port authorities and economic development agencies and leading regional cooperation on a broad range of economic development incentives, cooperative developmental structures, public/private partnerships, and the creation of special economic development entities.

Justin acts as the Law Director and general counsel for public agencies throughout northeastern Ohio, including the city of Norton, and brings a unique understanding of the interplay between state law and the needs of local governments and entities to bear in every client representation.

Experience

• Represented a port authority, city, and county in the coordination of economic incentives and debt issuances in support of the construction of a world headquarters project for a Fortune 500 company
• Represented numerous port authorities in connection with the issuance of bond fund, capital lease revenue, and other special revenue debt issuances
• Represented a Fortune 1000 corporation in the negotiation and documentation of economic incentives in support of a corporate headquarters project
• Acting as lead counsel for tax incentives agreements (enterprise zone and community reinvestment area exemptions, Ohio job creation tax credit, tax increment financing agreement, and others) resulting in billions in investments and creating thousands of jobs
• Regularly represents political subdivisions in the issuance of general obligation, income tax revenue, water and sewer revenue, and other special revenue debt obligations
• Negotiated and documented the creation of various regional cooperative agreements, including the creation of port authorities, regional council of governments, joint economic development zones, and districts
• Acted as bond counsel to the State of Ohio in connection with the issuance of a $300 million General Obligation Bond issue
• Represented a port authority in connection with the issuance of revenue bonds in connection with the construction of a $1.1 billion solar manufacturing facility
• Negotiated agreements with JobsOhio for a $50 million investment into Port Authority Bond Fund programs for the State of Ohio
• Acted as bond counsel for a port authority in connection with the issuance of $140 million of taxable bonds to construct the largest mass timber building in the United States
• Acted as bond counsel for a City in connection with hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-exempt income tax revenue bonds to finance the construction of mixed-use school and City facilities

Services

• Public / Private Infrastructure
• Public Finance
• Public Law
• Education Law
• Qualified Opportunity Zones

Industries

• Education
• Affordable Housing

1. The Ohio State University, B.S.B.A., Accounting
2. The Ohio State University, Master of Accounting
3. The University of Akron School of Law, J.D.

Bar Admissions

1. Ohio

• Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Economic Development Law (2022-2023) and Municipal Law (2022-2023)
• Selected as an "Ohio Super Lawyers - Rising Star" by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine (2010 & 2011)

Professional Affiliations

• Akron Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association
• Government Finance Officers Association
• Council of Development Finance Authorities
• National Association of Bond Lawyers

Community Affiliations

• Leadership Akron – Class 32
• Board of Directors – American Red Cross of Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties - Previous
• City of Norton - Law Director
• City of Norton Income Tax Board of Review - Member
• Torchbearers – Previous