Mark W. Blanchard
Senior Counsel

Mr. Blanchard is senior counsel to the firm and practices in the Public Finance and Economic Development Practice Group and serves on the Municipalities and Quasi-Governmental Agencies Industry Team.  His practice focuses on municipal finance law, state and local agency finance law, and industrial development.  Prior to joining Harris Beach, Mr. Blanchard served as corporation counsel in the Office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of Yonkers.  As corporation counsel, Mr. Blanchard served as chief legal counsel for and to the municipal corporation, providing advice in all aspect of procedure and law.  He provided legal counsel to the mayor, city council, commissioners, personnel and all volunteer boards on a variety of matters related to policy, procedure, contracts and the daily operation of the municipal government.  He managed a staff of 22 individuals in the law department and an operating budget of $2 million.  Mr. Blanchard was responsible for reviewing, assigning to staff attorneys and law firms, and monitoring all state and federal litigation, and claims involving the Westchester County Board of Health, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Public Employment Relations Board, the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U. S. Department of Justice.  Mr. Blanchard has been involved in a wide range of land-use and environmental matters, civil defense litigation, and special assignments involving labor and employment issues, code enforcement, and licensing agreements between the City of Yonkers and local businesses.  In the land-use and environmental area, Mr. Blanchard handled all pending environmental litigation, served as counsel to the Yonkers Planning Board, defended Article 78 proceedings, served as assistant counsel to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and negotiated Orders on Consent with the Department of Environmental Conservation.