Marshall G. Bennett

About

Marshall Bennett has a distinguished and lauded public service career in law and government, fighting for the rights of consumers, citizens, workers, and other victims. Marshall G. Bennett, after serving four elected terms as Treasurer of the State of Mississippi, joined the Wolf Popper Law Firm in New York on July 1, 2003. Marshall brings vast knowledge and experience of 16 years as the State's chief financial officer, directly managing $10.5 billion in public funds and $3 billion of bonded indebtedness, as well, as Trustee and Board Chairman of the $17 billion Public Employees Retirement System. After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford, Mississippi with a Juris Doctor degree, Marshall Bennett began a distinguished career in law and government. While in law school, Bennett served as Chairman of the Moot Court Board and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi legal honorary. Marshall received his BA Degree from the University of Mississippi - Oxford, with a double major in history and political science. Marshall was elected to the Student Hall of Fame and was selected for Omicron Delta Kappa honorary leadership fraternity. As a Commissioned Officer, Distinguished Military Graduate, Bennett served two years active duty with the US Army Military Intelligence Command (USAINTC), and 8 years in the US Army Reserve as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Marshall began his legal and public service career as Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting felony cases in the State's capital city of Jackson and practiced law there with the firm of Peters, Royals and Bennett. Marshall then served for seven years, as State Assistant Attorney General, Chief of The Consumer Fraud Division, and the Organized Crime and Public Integrity Unit. Bennett brought many cases to trial and successfully argued the case of first impression upholding the State's consumer protection laws before The Mississippi Supreme Court. He filed antitrust actions to stop price fixing in the Ampicillin and Milk Dairy cases in the US District Court as well as the General Motors/Oldsmobile engine switch cases resulting in a national settlement of millions of dollars to US consumers. Governor William Winter in 1980 appointed Bennett to serve as his first legislative assistant spearheading the reform of state government executive agencies and secondary education. Marshall was later appointed by the Governor to a six year term as the Chairman and Commissioner of the Worker's Compensation Commission where Bennett eliminated a 1600 case backlog and instituted a statewide advisory council for workers comp reforms and improvements. Marshall began the first of 20 annual workers compensation legal and educational seminars. During his terms as State Treasurer, Bennett helped establish and was director of the State Development Bank, the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation, the Mississippi Home Corporation, the State Bond Commission, and the State Economic Development Strategic Task Force. Marshall set up the first Section 529 College Savings Plan for tax free contributions and use for higher education costs. Marshall instituted the first, and now annual, Women's Money Conference, the Bank at School Program and the Unclaimed Property Scam Jam, all to provide financial literacy programs for citizens of the state. These programs have been implemented now by most states across the nation. As a national leader in public policy initiatives, Marshall has served as President of The National Association of State Treasurers, The National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, The National College Savings Network Association, the Southern State Treasurers Association, as well as on The Board of Directors of the National Unclaimed Property Administrators, the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, the Council of State Governments and its Chair of Finance. Marshall has authored many articles on financial responsibility and practices. Marshall has given testimony before the US House Ways and Means Committee and The US Senate Finance Committee regarding legislation affecting the federal tax laws and tax exemptions for citizens, as well as state and local governments. In recognition of his services to his nation, state and community, Marshall Bennett was selected for the nation's most outstanding State Treasurer in 1998, the NASACT Distinguished Service Award in 1999, the College Savings Plan Distinguished Service Award in 2002, the National Significant Sig Award in 2002, the Harlan Boyles Distinguished Public Service Award in 2003, the Distinguished American Award from The National Football All-American Foundation in 2003, and the NAST Treasurer Emeritus Award in 2007. Marshall has taught at Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson for 2 years as Adjunct Professor. Marshall is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court - SDMS, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, The Mississippi Supreme Court and all State Trial Courts. Marshall is a member of the Mississippi Bar. Marshall taught at The National Public Finance Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois for 5 years. Marshall was born in Lexington, Mississippi and is the father of three children and resides in New York City and Jackson, Mississippi.

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