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Biography

Marc Edwards is a Director, litigation attorney and Chair of the Firm’s Government Relations and Compliance Practice Group. For over 25 years, he has represented public entities, particularly the state’s public pensions, and business entities in a broad range of litigation, administrative proceedings and strategic legal matters, with an emphasis on public utility, governmental, and administrative laws.

Marc served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma from 1983 to 1987. He also served as the Hearing Examiner for the Oklahoma State Ethics Commission from 1995 to 1998.

Marc is active in the community and has served, and currently serves, on numerous not-for-profit boards. He is a 2007 Leadership in Law Award Recipient.

Born in Texas and raised in Missouri, Marc lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Nikki Jones Edwards, and their son, Sam. In his spare time, he enjoys watching his son play various sports, fly fishing, traveling with his family and piddling around the house.

Education

  • Missouri State University (B.S., 1979)
  • University of Tulsa (J.D., 1983)

Admissions

  • 1983, Oklahoma
  • 1987, U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
  • 1987, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma
  • 2002, U.S. Supreme Court
  • 2003, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
  • 2007, Supreme Court of the Chickasaw Nation

Professional Organizations

  • Oklahoma Bar Association
  • Oklahoma County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • National Association of Public Pension Attorneys

Experience

  • Provided strategic legal representation to the state’s public pension systems, administering over $7 billion in assets with more than 20,000 members or beneficiaries, including the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System and the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System. He has served as general counsel for these pension systems for many years
  • Represented the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System in numerous lawsuits in the state and federal and appellate courts
  • Was instrumental in obtaining dismissals both in federal and state courts of lawsuits filed against the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System by members seeking additional military credited service time
  • Assisted the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office in similar lawsuits brought against the state’s other pension systems
  • Responsible for the pension system becoming an active participant in national class action securities fraud lawsuits through the retention of national securities law firms. The pension system has been appointed lead plaintiff in several major class action lawsuits; one lawsuit settled as one of the top class action lawsuits brought by an institutional investor in terms of money recovered for the class
  • Negotiated and drafted hundreds of investment funds contracts in traditional investment vehicles and has participated in the negotiation and drafting of contracts for alternative investments, such as limited partnerships, co-mingled investment funds, funds of funds (i.e.hedge funds), Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and passive investment funds
  • Provided strategic legal representation to one of the largest communications companies in the state before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and numerous municipalities around the state
  • Represented a variety of telecommunications carriers on numerous telecommunications issues, including certificates of authority, regulatory compliance, interconnection negotiations and arbitrations, cable television and transactional matters
  • Represented competitive local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers and commercial mobile radio services providers. Regularly appears before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and in state and federal courts on telecommunications matters
  • Represents Public Pension Systems before state and federal regulatory bodies
  • Represents telecommunications industry in regulatory compliance, negotiations, arbitration and general transactional matters
  • Represents clients before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Leads one of the largest Governmental Relations and Administrative Law practices in Oklahoma, representing numerous state agencies, businesses and individuals before state agencies and the Legislature
  • Represents pension clients routinely on compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, including the pension statutes for the state’s pension systems, the Open Meeting Act, the Open Records Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, the state’s applicable personnel and purchasing statutes and applicable federal statutes such as the ADA, ADEA, FMLA and USERRA
  • Routinely advises pension clients on fiduciary and constitutional law issues that arise concerning pension benefits for pensioners and beneficiaries
  • Active in administrative rule-making proceedings before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and other state agencies
  • Assists clients by monitoring and analyzing proposed and final agency actions concerning such matters as telecommunications regulations and administrative proceedings
  • Represents clients in agency investigations and adjudicatory matters, including hearings before administrative law judges and hearing officers, as well as appeals from agency decisions

Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: State, Local & Municipal (2019-2020)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Government Relations Practice (2014)
  • Best Lawyers®: Administrative / Regulatory Law (2010-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Commercial Litigation (2016-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Government Relations Practice (2010-present)
  • 405 Magazine Top Attorney in Government And Administrative (2023)

Community

  • Lynn Health Science Institute (Board Member; Previous President)

Publications

Marc Edwards is a Director, litigation attorney and Chair of the Firm’s Government Relations and Compliance Practice Group. For over 25 years, he has represented public entities, particularly the state’s public pensions, and business entities in a broad range of litigation, administrative proceedings and strategic legal matters, with an emphasis on public utility, governmental, and administrative laws.

Marc served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma from 1983 to 1987. He also served as the Hearing Examiner for the Oklahoma State Ethics Commission from 1995 to 1998.

Marc is active in the community and has served, and currently serves, on numerous not-for-profit boards. He is a 2007 Leadership in Law Award Recipient.

Born in Texas and raised in Missouri, Marc lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Nikki Jones Edwards, and their son, Sam. In his spare time, he enjoys watching his son play various sports, fly fishing, traveling with his family and piddling around the house.

  • Missouri State University (B.S., 1979)
  • University of Tulsa (J.D., 1983)
  • 1983, Oklahoma
  • 1987, U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
  • 1987, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma
  • 2002, U.S. Supreme Court
  • 2003, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
  • 2007, Supreme Court of the Chickasaw Nation
  • Oklahoma Bar Association
  • Oklahoma County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • National Association of Public Pension Attorneys
  • Provided strategic legal representation to the state’s public pension systems, administering over $7 billion in assets with more than 20,000 members or beneficiaries, including the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System and the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System. He has served as general counsel for these pension systems for many years
  • Represented the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System in numerous lawsuits in the state and federal and appellate courts
  • Was instrumental in obtaining dismissals both in federal and state courts of lawsuits filed against the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System by members seeking additional military credited service time
  • Assisted the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office in similar lawsuits brought against the state’s other pension systems
  • Responsible for the pension system becoming an active participant in national class action securities fraud lawsuits through the retention of national securities law firms. The pension system has been appointed lead plaintiff in several major class action lawsuits; one lawsuit settled as one of the top class action lawsuits brought by an institutional investor in terms of money recovered for the class
  • Negotiated and drafted hundreds of investment funds contracts in traditional investment vehicles and has participated in the negotiation and drafting of contracts for alternative investments, such as limited partnerships, co-mingled investment funds, funds of funds (i.e.hedge funds), Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and passive investment funds
  • Provided strategic legal representation to one of the largest communications companies in the state before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and numerous municipalities around the state
  • Represented a variety of telecommunications carriers on numerous telecommunications issues, including certificates of authority, regulatory compliance, interconnection negotiations and arbitrations, cable television and transactional matters
  • Represented competitive local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers and commercial mobile radio services providers. Regularly appears before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and in state and federal courts on telecommunications matters
  • Represents Public Pension Systems before state and federal regulatory bodies
  • Represents telecommunications industry in regulatory compliance, negotiations, arbitration and general transactional matters
  • Represents clients before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Leads one of the largest Governmental Relations and Administrative Law practices in Oklahoma, representing numerous state agencies, businesses and individuals before state agencies and the Legislature
  • Represents pension clients routinely on compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, including the pension statutes for the state’s pension systems, the Open Meeting Act, the Open Records Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, the state’s applicable personnel and purchasing statutes and applicable federal statutes such as the ADA, ADEA, FMLA and USERRA
  • Routinely advises pension clients on fiduciary and constitutional law issues that arise concerning pension benefits for pensioners and beneficiaries
  • Active in administrative rule-making proceedings before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and other state agencies
  • Assists clients by monitoring and analyzing proposed and final agency actions concerning such matters as telecommunications regulations and administrative proceedings
  • Represents clients in agency investigations and adjudicatory matters, including hearings before administrative law judges and hearing officers, as well as appeals from agency decisions
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: State, Local & Municipal (2019-2020)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Government Relations Practice (2014)
  • Best Lawyers®: Administrative / Regulatory Law (2010-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Commercial Litigation (2016-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Government Relations Practice (2010-present)
  • 405 Magazine Top Attorney in Government And Administrative (2023)

Community

  • Lynn Health Science Institute (Board Member; Previous President)

ALFA International Member

Phillips Murrah is a member of ALFA International, the global legal network. With 145 member firms across the globe (80 in the United States), ALFA International is the premier global network of independent law firms whose success is driven by broad, deep, local relationships all over the world. Click HERE for an informational video about ALFA International, or visit www.alfainternational.com to learn more.