CHICAGO — Indianapolis-based Ice Miller LLP announced yesterday the addition of Bruce Agin to bolster its municipal finance tax group.
Agin, a 23-year veteran of the bond counsel industry who previously had led Peck Shaffer & Williams LLP’s tax and financial analysis department, joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner.
Agin has a special focus on arbitrage and rebate issues. In addition to advising governmental issuers, cultural institutions, schools, and health care borrowers, he provides special tax counsel services for borrowers and other law firms and performs the rebate analysis and opinions for various clients.
“Bruce has a wealth of experience in municipal finance and is recognized by his clients, colleagues, and investment bankers for developing innovative financings for complex transactions,” Byron Myers, chief managing partner, said in a statement. “He adds depth and experience to our well-established municipal bond tax practice and will enable the firm to offer additional services to our municipal bond clients.”
Agin started his public finance legal career at Chicago-based Chapman and Cutler LLP and later joined Cincinnati-based Peck Shaffer.
“Ice Miller has a solid footprint in municipal finance. Their bond practice in Illinois has grown significantly with the recent addition of other bond lawyers — a true testament to the firm’s commitment to continued growth in this important practice area,” Agin said.
Ice Miller, the top-ranked bond counsel in Indiana, worked on 152 deals in the state worth $5.4 billion last year. it ranked eighth in Illinois, serving as bond counsel on 34 deals worth $502 million. It ranked fourth overall in the Midwest, working on 186 deals worth $4 billion, up from seventh in 2008, according to Thomson Reuters.
Peck Shaffer is the second-highest-ranked bond counsel in Ohio and is ranked sixth in the Midwest, down from third place in 2008. It was not among the top 10 in Illinois last year. In addition to Indianapolis and Chicago, Ice Miller has offices in DuPage County, Ill., and Washington, D.C.
