Mark J. Kimzey is a Partner at Airdo Werwas, LLC, where he represents public and private sector clients in complex civil litigation and regulatory matters. He is a skilled litigator and trusted advisor who is known for his ability to manage high-stakes cases with precision and professionalism. Mark has successfully represented clients in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies, throughout Illinois and across the country. His practice includes the defense of tort and professional liability claims, labor and employment disputes, civil rights litigation, and commercial matters, as well as internal investigations, crisis management, and compliance counseling.
Mark focuses his practice on representing local governments and public officials. He regularly advises elected and appointed officials on a wide range of legal and operational issues, including legislative and procedural matters, compliance with open meetings, freedom of information, and record-keeping requirements, ethics and conflicts of interest, labor and employment matters, and the use of public funds. He also counsels clients on matters involving land use and zoning, procurement, public contracting, intergovernmental cooperation, and regulatory enforcement. Mark frequently attends board, commission, and committee meetings, where he provides guidance on parliamentary procedure and meeting governance.
In addition to his public sector work, Mark regularly represents businesses, non-profits, and trade associations with their legal and strategic needs. He works with start-ups and established entities on issues involving organizational governance, operational risk, and regulatory compliance. He also represents clients in the equipment distribution, construction, and technology sectors, and has experience addressing the intersection of law and innovation.
Mark holds both a law degree and a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he received the Dean’s Full Tuition Merit Scholarship. He earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration from Western Illinois University. Prior to law school, he served as an auxiliary police officer in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, gaining valuable experience in public service and community engagement.
Mark is an active member of the Illinois Township Attorneys and serves as its Annual Educational Seminar Coordinator. Mark is a regular speaker and author on topics related to his practice, including local government, labor and employment law, new and proposed legislation, risk management, and civil litigation. He is proud to serve as legal counsel to multiple townships and local governments across Illinois and to advise clients facing novel legal challenges in today’s evolving legal and political environment.
Education
- IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law/Stuart School of Business, J.D./M.P.A.
- Western Illinois University, B.S., Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, summa cum laude
Admitted to Practice
- Illinois, 2016
- United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2016
- United State Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2016
Professional Associations
- Illinois Bar Association
- Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association
- Illinois Township Attorneys Association
Presentations
- “Serving the Underserved: GA, Mental Health Boards & Other Social Services,” Illinois Township Attorneys Association, Hanover Township, Bartlett, Illinois, May 16, 2025
Mark Kimzey and Madilyn Kuperman of Airdo Werwas, LLC - “Legal and Leadership Education for New Township Officials,” Hanover Township, Bartlett, Illinois, May 3, 2025
- “Governor’s Budget Initiative: Township Consolidation,” Metropolitan Township Association Capitol Day, Springfield, Illinois, March 19, 2025
- “Conducting Field Work: Rights, Risks, and Best Practices,” Illinois Property Assessment Institute (IPAI) State Conference, Normal, Illinois, March 18, 2025
- “Understanding the Separation of Powers in Township Governance and Its Impact on the Role of Property Assessors,” Illinois Property Assessment Institute (IPAI) State Conference, Normal, Illinois, March 17, 2025
- “Contracting for Delivery of Social Services,” Metropolitan Township Association (MTA) Training, Bartlett, Illinois, March 12, 2025
- “Governor’s Budget Initiative: Township Consolidation,” Illinois Township Attorneys Association (ITAA) Membership Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, March 5, 2025
- “Senate Bill 2504: Educating Residents & Tips for Expressing Opinions, "Township Officials of Illinois (TOI) Membership Briefing, Chicago, Illinois, March 4, 2025
- “Senate Bill 2504: Educating Residents & Tips for Expressing Opinions, "Metropolitan Township Association (MTA) Membership Briefing, Chicago, Illinois, February 24, 2025
- “Legal Concerns for Emergency Services Units,” Hanover Township Emergency Services Training, Bartlett, Illinois, February 5, 2025
- “Navigating Change: Emerging Legal & HR Issues Facing Dealers in 2025,” AED Summit, Orlando, Florida, January 17, 2025
- “Committees of the Township Board,” Hanover Township, Bartlett, Illinois, November 6, 2025
- “Best Practices: Incident Report Writing,” Hanover Township, Bartlett, Illinois, November 6, 2025
“Employee Discipline & Terminations,” Metropolitan Township Association Annual Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, October 3, 2024
“Best Practices: Bidding, Purchasing & Contracting,” Metropolitan Township Association Annual Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, October 3, 2024
- “Social Inflation & Accident Investigation,” Society of Casualty Safety Engineers 2024-25 Session Kickoff, Warrenville, Illinois, September 6, 2024
- “Panel Discussion: Hot Topics in Township Government,” Illinois Township Attorney’s Association Annual Educational Seminar, Bartlett, Illinois, May 17, 2024
- “New Legislation: Township Mental Health Boards, General Assistance & Foundations,” Illinois Township Attorney’s Association Annual Educational Seminar, Bartlett, Illinois, May 17, 2024
- “Immigration and How it Affects General Assistance,” Illinois Township Association of General Assistance Caseworkers Workshop, East Peoria, Illinois, April 18, 2024
- “The Role of Townships in Human Trafficking,” Township Officials of Illinois 116th Annual Educational Conference, Springfield, Illinois, November 13, 2023
- "General Assistance Training: Public Act 103-0192,” Metropolitan Township Association Training Seminar, Bartlett, Illinois, October 25, 2023
- “First Amendment Audits and Other Legal Hot Topics,” Metropolitan Township Association Annual Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, September 28, 2023
- "Advanced Topics in Township Foundations,” Metropolitan Township Association Annual Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, September 28, 2023
- “Legal Concerns for General Assistance Providers,” Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions Annual Training Conference, East Peoria, Illinois, September 20, 2023
- “Best Practices for Township Foundations,” Illinois Township Attorney’s Association Annual Educational Seminar, Peoria, Illinois, September 8, 2023
- “Best Practices: Bidding, Purchasing & Contracting,” Metropolitan Township Association Training Session, Chicago, Illinois, August 16, 2023
- “Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency,” Township Officials of Cook County Annual Spring Conference, Oak Brook, Illinois, June 22, 2023
- “Legal Concerns & Best Practices for Caseworkers: Confidentiality & Recordkeeping,” Illinois Township Association of General Assistance Caseworkers Educational Conference, East Peoria, Illinois, April 20, 2023
- “Legal Concerns & Best Practices for Caseworkers: Confidentiality & Recordkeeping,” Illinois Township Association of General Assistance Caseworkers Workshop, Chicago, Illinois, January 26, 2023
- “Legal Concerns for Emergency Response and Recovery Agencies,” Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network Annual Conference, Bloomington, Illinois, October 26, 2022
- “Best Practices of Township Foundations – Part 2,” Metropolitan Township Association Annual Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, September 24, 2022
- “Legal Concerns for Emergency Services Units,” Hanover Township Emergency Services Annual Training Conference, Bartlett, Illinois, September 17, 2022
- 'Best Practices of Township Foundations – Part 1,” Metropolitan Township Association Training Session, Chicago, Illinois, April 27, 2022
- “Hot Legal Issues and Questions in Emergency Services,” Hanover Township Emergency Services Training Session, Bartlett, Illinois, March 2, 2022
- “Nuts & Bolts of Township Government – Part 2,” Special Meeting of the Palatine Township Board, Palatine, Illinois, November 1, 2021
- “Nuts & Bolts of Township Government– Part 1,” Special Meeting of the Palatine Township Board, Palatine, Illinois, October 18, 2021
- “Marijuana Legalization & Your Dealership – Are You Prepared?” AED Financial/Human Resources Symposium, Napa, California, June 29, 2021
- “General Assistance & Emergency Assistance in the Time of COVID-19,” Township Officials of Illinois 113th Annual Educational Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 18, 2020
- “General Assistance & Emergency Assistance in the Time of COVID-19,” Metropolitan Township Association Training Conference, Chicago, Illinois, September 24, 2020
- “Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Its Impact on Illinois Townships,” Township Officials of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, October 17, 2019
- “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” Metropolitan Township Association Training Conference, Palatine, Illinois, June 28, 2019
- “Hot Legal Issues and Questions in Emergency Services,” Hanover Township Emergency Services Training Conference, Bartlett, Illinois, April 13, 2019
- “Top 10 Legal Myths Business Leaders Need to Know,” AED Summit, Orlando, Florida, February 5, 2019
- “Employment Law: Hidden Threats Within the Dealership,” AED Summit, Orlando, Florida, February 4, 2019
- “Employment Law for Townships,” Township Officials of Cook County Summer Symposium, Bartlett, Illinois, September 8, 2018
- “Hot Legal Issues and Questions in Emergency Services,” Hanover Township Emergency Services Training Conference, Bartlett, Illinois, April 21, 2018
