• Government Affairs
  • Administrative and Regulatory
  • Attorneys General
  • Economic Development
  • Insurance Regulation
  • Legislative
• Energy Industry Team
• Technology Industry Team

Mark Vane’s practice focuses on assisting clients in creating public policy that positively impacts their interests. He also aids clients in navigating the maze of government bureaucracy in order to assure compliance with state, federal and local laws and regulations. Mr. Vane is a partner in the Austin office of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP.

Mr. Vane has represented clients before the Texas Legislature in the areas of taxation, health care, transportation, insurance, financial services, education, and consumer protection. He has also represented clients before several state agencies, including the Texas Department of Insurance, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Office of the Texas Attorney General, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, State Energy Conservation Office, Office of the Texas Secretary of State, General Land Office, the Texas Education Agency and Teacher Retirement System of Texas. His work at these agencies has included rulemaking and policy development, licensing, contested case hearings, and general representation of client interests.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Vane was legislative director for a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He managed the legislative package for the representative, shepherding numerous bills through the Texas Legislature. His work in the Texas State Capitol focused on appropriations, insurance and environmental issues. Before returning to Texas in 1992, Mr. Vane was a reporter in Washington D.C., covering local government as well as federal courts.

Mr. Vane was raised in Houston and attended public schools. He graduated with honors from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. 1990. During his senior year, Mr. Vane served as editor-in-chief of the campus student newspaper. In 1992, Mr. Vane returned to Texas to enter the L.B.J. School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His course work focused on Texas state government. In 1995 he received his Masters of Public Affairs and enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Vane graduated with his J.D. in 1998.

Mr. Vane was recognized for his Government Relations Law practice in the 2008 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” published by Woodward/White Inc. The honor is widely regarded as the pre-eminent referral guide to the legal profession in the U.S. Mr. Vane was also recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Law & Politics magazine in 2005.

Mr. Vane's representative matters include:

• Walmart Stores, Inc.
• Texas Caterpillar Dealer's Legislative Council
• Deloitte LLP
• Ernst & Young LLP
• Grant Thornton LLP
• KPMG LLP
• Pricewaterhouse Coopers
• Rent-A-Center
• Teva Pharmaceuticals USA
• VIA Metropolitan Transit

• J.D., The University of Texas School of Law (1998)
• M.P.Aff., LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin (1995)
• B.A., George Washington University (1990)
  • Member, The Phi Beta Kappa Society

• Co-Author, Lobbying in the State of Texas: Changing the Rules of the Game, Metropolitan Corp. Couns.
• Co-Author, Looking For A Favorable Business Climate? Try Texas, Metropolitan Corp. Couns.
• Author, The Legislative Timetable: Procedures and Information Resources 

• Member, State Bar of Texas
• Member, Travis County Bar Association

• Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America (Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith eds., Woodward/White, Inc.) (2008 – 2011)
  • Government Relations Law
• Recognized, Texas Rising Stars, Law & Politics Media Inc. as published in Texas Monthly Magazine (2005)
  • Political Law
  • Administrative Law
  • Government/Cities/Municipalities

• Board Member, Anti-Defamation League, Central Texas Region
• Board Member, Thomas M. Keel Scholarship Fund for Texas Public Finance
• Former Member, Parks and Recreation Board, City of Austin
• Former Member, Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Association of Austin