Kostas A. Poulakidas

Kostas Poulakidas provides economic development and public finance representation to clients including municipalities, counties and townships, real estate development firms, commercial banks, manufacturers and nonprofit organizations.

In connection therewith, Mr. Poulakidas has served as bond counsel, bank counsel and/or underwriter's counsel in a wide variety of bond issues including traditional general obligation bonds, economic development revenue bonds, building corporation lease rental bonds, and tax anticipation borrowings. Mr. Poulakidas also provides advice on matters related to tax increment financing (TIF), economic improvement districts (EID), abatement and other economic development incentives.  Additionally, Mr. Poulakidas provides advise on government consolidation and reorganization, and tax and budget issues to various governmental entities.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Poulakidas served as Deputy Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance where he oversaw Indiana’s statewide transition to a market-value-based property tax system, advised executive and legislative officials on legislation and public policy issues, reviewed local and school public financing requests, developed the initiative for an integrated statewide property tax system, and spoke on a range of property tax and economic development topics.

Mr. Poulakidas has also gained an extensive understanding of government through his prior experience as Special Assistant to the Governor, as a Deputy Attorney General of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, and as the Executive Director of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

Mr. Poulakidas has argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Circuit and Superior Courts, and the Indiana Board of Tax Review. Mr. Poulakidas served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Lawrence S. Margolis on the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C.

Representative Experience

• Counsel to municipality in connection with $834 million Chrysler property tax abatement.
• Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer negotiate $1.2 million in local and state economic development incentives and tax credits, $8 million in tax increment financing support and approval of $45 million in tax-exempt project financing.
• Representation of civil and defense aerospace manufacturer in connection with $23 million in relocation economic development incentives.
• Advised manufacturer in negotiation of economic development incentive package, including personal property abatement, the issuance of economic development tax increment bonds and issuance of $13 million of tax-exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bonds.
• Represented company in connection with tax increment financing property acquisition, the negotiation of economic development incentives and brownfield redevelopment.
• Counsel to city and township in connection to a governmental reorganization and consolidation.
• Advised school corporation in successful school levy referendum receiving 86% voter approval.

Education

• Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington, Indiana (J.D., 1999)
• The American University School of International Service, Washington, D.C. (M.A., 1994)
• Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana (B.S., 1992)

Bar Admissions

• Indiana, 1999
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, 1999
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, 1999
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2001
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2001
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2002

Professional Associations

• Indianapolis Bar Association (Member)
• Indiana State Bar Association (Member)
• National Association of Bond Lawyers (Member)
• Indiana Economic Development Association (Member)
• Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association (Member)
• The Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (Member)
• Lacy Leadership Academy

Awards and Recognitions

• Hamilton County Leadership Academy, 2010-2011
• Indiana Rising Star, 2009
• Junior Achievement's Best & Brightest Award Winner (Law), 2009
• Junior Achievement's Best & Brightest Award Finalist (Government), 2006
• Indianapolis Bar Association Bar Leader Series III, 2005-06
• Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series XXIX, Grant Committee Co-Chair, 2004-05
• Sagamore of the Wabash, awarded by Governor Joe Kernan, 2005
• Sagamore of the Wabash, awarded by Governor Evan Bayh, 1997
• White House Fellowship, Regional Finalist, 2001
• Graduate of the Last Decade Alumni Award, Ball State Alumni Association, 2001
• National Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, 1998
• Elliott Harris International Business Law Scholarship, 1997
• Governor’s Executive Management School, 1996