Practice Areas
Federal & State
Federal & State
Biography
Marc Martin is the son of an acclaimed criminal defense lawyer, William J. Martin. Marc Martin was born in 1961 and grew up in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. He graduated from Fenwick High School in 1979. In 1984, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois.
While in college, Marc Martin worked in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office at Chicago’s Criminal Courts Building, 26th and California, as a courtroom clerk. There, he learned the practical side of practicing law, and witnessed esteemed lawyers try cases.
Marc Martin attended Loyola University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1987. While in law school, Marc Martin won numerous academic awards. He was on a trial team that won the local round of a national competition, and was an Executive Editor of the law review.
Marc Martin has never been a prosecutor. He has always worked on the side of the accused, starting as a law clerk for the law firm headed by Edward M. Genson, a legendary criminal defense lawyer in Chicago. Marc Martin was an associate, and, later a partner, in Attorney Genson’s law firm. In 1995, Marc Martin started his own practice, but continues to work in conjunction with the Genson & Gillespie law firm.
Marc Martin is known for his ability to work all aspects of a case, including preparing motions and briefs, cross-examining witnesses, assembling defenses, and arguing points of law to the judge and the facts to the jury. He has expertise in the area of jury instructions, having served on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions. He is presently a member of a Seventh Circuit Committee responsible for preparing pattern jury instructions for use in federal criminal cases.
Throughout his career, Marc Martin has been involved in high profile and complex criminal cases. He has tried numerous cases, including as co-counsel with esteemed Chicago trial attorneys such as Ed Genson, Sam Adam, Terry Gillespie and Tom Breen. Some of these cases are discussed in courtroom sketch artist Andy Austin’s book, Rule 53.
Marc Martin was one of the trial attorneys for music superstar R. Kelly, who was charged both in Florida and Illinois. In Florida, the court granted a motion to suppress evidence prepared by Marc Martin that resulted in the dismissal of charges. In Illinois, the jury returned complete not guilty verdicts. Marc Martin was responsible for most of the pleadings filed in the Kelly cases, as well as examination of some prosecution witnesses at trial. A Chicago Tribune article about the case described Marc Martin as “the legal mastermind who oversaw the motions and courtroom maneuvers.”
Before the Kelly case, Marc Martin was one of the trial and appellate attorneys for Conrad M. Black, a prominent author, businessman and newspaper executive. Motions and jury instructions prepared by Marc Martin are now before the United States Supreme Court in the form of the challenge to the mail fraud statute in United States v. Black.
While in college, Marc Martin worked in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office at Chicago’s Criminal Courts Building, 26th and California, as a courtroom clerk. There, he learned the practical side of practicing law, and witnessed esteemed lawyers try cases.
Marc Martin attended Loyola University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1987. While in law school, Marc Martin won numerous academic awards. He was on a trial team that won the local round of a national competition, and was an Executive Editor of the law review.
Marc Martin has never been a prosecutor. He has always worked on the side of the accused, starting as a law clerk for the law firm headed by Edward M. Genson, a legendary criminal defense lawyer in Chicago. Marc Martin was an associate, and, later a partner, in Attorney Genson’s law firm. In 1995, Marc Martin started his own practice, but continues to work in conjunction with the Genson & Gillespie law firm.
Marc Martin is known for his ability to work all aspects of a case, including preparing motions and briefs, cross-examining witnesses, assembling defenses, and arguing points of law to the judge and the facts to the jury. He has expertise in the area of jury instructions, having served on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions. He is presently a member of a Seventh Circuit Committee responsible for preparing pattern jury instructions for use in federal criminal cases.
Throughout his career, Marc Martin has been involved in high profile and complex criminal cases. He has tried numerous cases, including as co-counsel with esteemed Chicago trial attorneys such as Ed Genson, Sam Adam, Terry Gillespie and Tom Breen. Some of these cases are discussed in courtroom sketch artist Andy Austin’s book, Rule 53.
Marc Martin was one of the trial attorneys for music superstar R. Kelly, who was charged both in Florida and Illinois. In Florida, the court granted a motion to suppress evidence prepared by Marc Martin that resulted in the dismissal of charges. In Illinois, the jury returned complete not guilty verdicts. Marc Martin was responsible for most of the pleadings filed in the Kelly cases, as well as examination of some prosecution witnesses at trial. A Chicago Tribune article about the case described Marc Martin as “the legal mastermind who oversaw the motions and courtroom maneuvers.”
Before the Kelly case, Marc Martin was one of the trial and appellate attorneys for Conrad M. Black, a prominent author, businessman and newspaper executive. Motions and jury instructions prepared by Marc Martin are now before the United States Supreme Court in the form of the challenge to the mail fraud statute in United States v. Black.
Marc Martin, Ltd.
53 W. Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1420
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 408-1111
53 W. Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1420
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 408-1111
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