Marc J. Lane

Marc J. Lane, aa nationally recognized business and tax attorney, a Master Registered Financial Planner, a Registered Financial Counselor and a Certifed Investment Specialist. Twice a recipient of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Lincoln Award, he has taught law at Northwestern University School of Law and business in the MBA program at the University of Illinois.

Marc is the pioneer behind the Advocacy Investing® approach to socially responsible and mission-related investing. A past Director of Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA), the national association of enterprising nonprofits and social-purpose businesses, he spearheaded the launch of its Chicago chapter which he serves as Chairman. He has also chaired SEA’s affliate, The Center for Social Enterprise Accreditation. By appointment of Gov. Pat Quinn, he chaired the State of Illinois’ Task Force on Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise. Also by appointment of Gov. Pat Quinn, he was a Commissioner of the Serve Illinois Commission. And by appointment of then–Cook County Commissioner and now Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, he serves as Vice Chairperson of the Cook County Commission on Social Innovation.

Marc drafted Illinois’ Low-profit Limited Liability Company (L3C) law, and has been instrumental in promoting L3C legislation in other states, authorizing the hybrid business form which can leverage foundations’ program-related investments to access trillions of dollars of market-driven capital for ventures with modest finnancial prospects, but the
possibility of major social impact.

He has consistently earned an “AV® Preeminent™” rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory, the highest ranking awarded. Martindale-Hubbell also includes him in its Bar Registry of Preeminent Attorneys, reflecting the fact that Marc’s peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. In addition, he has been selected by his peers as a “Leading Illinois Attorney” and an “Illinois Super Lawyer” ten times.

Marc is the author of 36 books including Profittable Socially Responsible Investing: An Institutional Investor’s Guide (Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC), Advising Entrepreneurs: Dynamic Strategies for Financial Growth, (John Wiley and Sons), Legal Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations (American Management Association), Social Enterprise: Empowering Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs (American Bar Association), The Mission-Driven Venture: Business Solutions to the World’s Most Vexing Social Problems (John Wiley and Sons), and Representing Corporate Officers and Directors and LLC Managers, Third Edition (Wolters Kluwer).