Mark Stewart concentrates his practice on those areas where business, law and government meet. His practice includes a unique blend of civil and administrative litigation, regulatory advice, transactional representations, and government affairs. Mark has provided advice in these areas to national corporations, gaming companies, municipal governments, private equity funds, public utilities, nursing homes, educational institutions, small businesses and many other clients. Mark has also been an active participant in the growing trend in the United States to privatize public infrastructure through long term public-private partnerships, or P3s. Mark is a former Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, and his service included membership on National Association of Attorneys General subcommittees on energy deregulation, investment scams and elder law.
Representative Matters
Gaming Matters
· Lead regulatory counsel for a top ten publicly traded gaming company before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in an extensive, year-long competitive licensure process;
· Ongoing representation of casino licensees and gaming product manufacturers on a broad array of matters before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and Liquor Control Board;
· Pennsylvania regulatory counsel to The United States Playing Card Company;
· Pennsylvania regulatory counsel to TPG and Apollo Management in their acquisition of Harrah's Entertainment before the Gaming Control Board and Harness Racing Commission;
· Representation of a racetrack in a successful appeal from a decision by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission to award a license to a competing racetrack;
Infrastructure Investment & Privatization
· Representation of the sponsors of a P3 for a 75 year, $215 million lease of a city's parking assets on transactional, regulatory, municipal and government affairs matters;
· Representation of the sponsors of a long term lease of the parking assets affiliated with a public, international airport;
· Worked with Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai to develop and draft H.B. 11, liquor privatization legislation;
· Special counsel to multiple third class counties in the privatization of their longtime county nursing homes, as well as for all regulatory, operational and labor matters involving the facility pre-sale;
· Special counsel for partial privatization of a county youth detention facility;
Administrative & Civil Litigation
· Representation of national telecommunications and cable companies in successfully resolving Do Not Call telemarketing and other investigations by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General;
· Representation of a municipality authority in complex construction litigation, securing a multi-million dollar settlement;
· Representation of non-utility generators in litigation pertaining to the implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act and its alternative energy credits program;
· Representation of a first class township in land use and Fair Housing Act litigation against a corporate operator of group home facilities.
Professional Affiliations
Former member of the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission
Community Involvement
Founding member of the Board of Control for the Harrisburg School District under Pennsylvania's landmark Education Empowerment Act
Served on the Boards of Directors for the following: Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority; Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District; Historic Harrisburg Association; Harrisburg Young Professionals, Urban League of Metropolitan Harrisburg
Volunteerism has included service with the YMCA's Black Achievers Program and the Wesley Union Community Development Corporation
Special Recognition
Selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania SuperLawyers - Rising Star for administrative law
Articles/Speeches/Presentations
· "Expanded Gaming in Pennsylvania and How to "Deal" With It," co-presented with Robert A. Graci at Eckert Seamans' Continuing Legal Education Seminar, April 2010.
· "The ABCs of Doing Business with Casinos"