Marc G. Farris
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Marc began his legal career in New York as a litigation associate as a large international law firm. At that firm, Marc represented financial institutions in matters arising from the 2008 financial crisis, including securities litigation in state and federal courts across the country, and an investigation by the Federal Reserve into a publicly traded bank.
Marc then served as a law clerk for two federal judges on the trial court (District of New Jersey) and appellate (Third Circuit) levels. He then returned to private practice focusing on complex commercial litigation, including on a team representing a small business owner in an arbitration proceeding which resulted in the recovery of funds misappropriated by the client’s business partner. Marc also represented two hedge funds at the conclusion of a multiyear lawsuit to recover on defaulted sovereign bonds, and he represented the audit committee of a publicly traded company in an SEC investigation into accounting improprieties.
A Louisville native, Marc returned to Kentucky in 2017 and joined the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Civil and Environmental Law. As Assistant Attorney General, Marc represented the Commonwealth, its agencies, and its employees in state and federal courts, including in historic litigation in which the Kentucky Supreme Court struck down a public pension law for violating the Kentucky Constitution.
Marc then served as Deputy General Counsel to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, where he advised the Governor and other Executive Branch officials on legal matters, and represented the Governor at all levels of the state and federal judiciary, including both the Kentucky and United States Supreme Courts. Marc joined Tachau Meek in October 2022.
- Education+
Marc received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania (BA, summa cum laude, 2007) and his law degree from Harvard Law School (JD, cum laude, 2010).
- Court Admissions+
Marc is admitted to the New York (2011) and Kentucky (2017) bars, and is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the Second, Third, and Sixth Circuits, and the US District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
- Work Highlights+
Marc has litigated cases in state and federal courts and represented clients in arbitration proceedings. Some of Marc’s practice highlights have included:
Obtaining US Supreme Court “shadow docket” affirmance of an emergency order entered by the Sixth Circuit dissolving a preliminary injunction issued by a federal court halting an emergency governmental order
Successfully obtaining an extraordinary writ from the Kentucky Supreme Court staying multiple injunctions issued by Kentucky circuit courts against emergency governmental orders, and obtaining a subsequent decision on the merits reversing the circuit courts
Successfully challenging the constitutionality of legislation that failed to comply with the Kentucky Constitution’s “three-readings” requirement, including a public pension bill and a bill that made changes to the state procurement code
Representing a co-owner of a real estate management company in a successful AAA arbitration arising out of a “business divorce” with his partner, and in related judgment enforcement matters in New York state court
Participating in an internal investigation on behalf of the Audit Committee of a NYSE-listed consumer financial services company in connection with the Committee’s review of the company’s financial statements
Representing two hedge funds in their successful pursuit of claims against the Republic of Argentina to recover on defaulted bonds
- Community & Personal Activities+
Kentucky Personnel Board, October 2022 – Present
Marc is married to a Lexington physician and has two young children.