Mark C. Franco
Partner
Mr. Franco serves or has served as outside counsel for multiple professional and trade associations, public and private foundations, religious organizations, certification and accreditation bodies, advocacy organizations, political action committees, social clubs and other non-profit, tax-exempt organizations. He has substantial experience handling matters involving accommodations, accreditation and certification standards, chapter relations, charitable solicitations, contracts, credentialing, data security, due process, employment, entity formation, exam challenges and misconduct, fundraising, governance, intellectual property, policy development including DEI, privacy, professional ethics and discipline, regulatory compliance, score validation, test administration, tax, and vendor relations. He is an I.C.E. Certified Credentialing Professional.
Mark regularly works with all kinds and sizes of non-profit organizations with their daily business concerns. He advises on specific issues related to affinity relationships, journal publishing, professional standards, service provider agreements, corporate and exhibitor sponsorships, employment agreements, consulting and independent contractor concerns, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, membership terms and conditions, disciplinary enforcement and corporate governance documents, among other things.
Selected Experience
- Assisted multiple professional associations and societies with conference disruptions during the height of the COVID pandemic resulting in millions of dollars saved in fees and penalties
- Advised a national trade association on responding to congressional inquiries
- Assisted with the successful defense of a nonprofit credentialing organization against due process challenges related to its disciplinary process
- Assisted with the creation of a limited liability company to establish and promote organizational standards related to the provision of applied behavior analysis
- Advised a national certification body in the pharmacy profession on updating its code of professional conduct enforcement criteria and procedures
- Assisted an international professional certification organization navigate complex federal economic sanctions programs
Publications
- “Best Practices to Maintain an Enforceable Code of Conduct,” ASAE, June 21, 2023
Speaking Engagements
- Moderator: New Year, More Questions,Certification Network Group, February 2024
- Presenter:The Current State of DE&I In Credentialing Bodies, Institute for Credentialing Excellence Webinar, 2024
- Podcast: The Impact of the 2023 SCOTUS Ruling on DEI, Institute for Credentialing Excellence, January 2024
- Speaker: Let’s Continue the DE&I Conversation!, Certification Network Group, November 2023
- Speaker:DE&I Coffee Talk – No Big Whoop, Institute for Credentialing Excellence’s Annual Exchange, October 2023
- Speaker:Beyond Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and into Belonging (B): Including B in the DEI Framework, Institute for Credentialing Excellence’s Annual Exchange, October 2023
- Speaker:Why Accessibility isn’t Just About Meeting Legal Requirements, Institute for Credentialing Excellence’s Annual Exchange, October 2022
- Presenter:Far-Reaching Russian Sanctions in the U.S. and an unprecedented speed in enforcement, Webinar, April 2022
- Author: “Responding to Exam Security Breaches,” Institute for Credentialing Excellence, March 2022
- Author:When the “Social” in Social Media Becomes a Problem for Organizations, Maryland State Bar Association Labor & Employment Newsletter, Winter 2022
- Presenter: Managing Your Certification Program During the COVID Era and Beyond: Part 2 – Maintaining Agility in the Face of Future Uncertainty, Webinar, October 2020
- Presenter: Managing Your Certification Program During the COVID Era and Beyond: Part 1 – Understanding Your Future Candidate Pipeline, Webinar, August 2020
- Author: “Key Business and Legal Considerations for Credentialing Organizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Institute for Credentialing Excellence, April 2020
- Speaker: Legal Risks for Accrediting Associations, International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation Winter Council Meeting, February 2020
- Speaker:Avoiding Workplace Harassment, Guns in Communities, and Other Hot Legal Topics, LeadingAge Virginia Annual Conference & Expo, June 2019
- Presenter: Understanding the Impact of Medical Marijuana, LeadingAge Virginia Webinar, May 21, 2019
- Presenter:Project and Personnel Management for the Young Professional, ASAE Young Professionals Live Stream, May 2019
- Speaker:Legal Implications of Remote Employees, ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap, February 7, 2019
- Speaker: Through the Looking Glass… Perspectives on Contracting From the Other Side, 2018 ICE Exchange, November 2018
- Speaker:The Legal Implications of Workplace Harassment, LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo, October 30, 2018
- Speaker: Legal Implications Regarding Harassment for the Modern Healthcare Organization, 2018 LifeSpan/HFAM Annual Conference, October 25, 2018
- Speaker:Beginner’s Guide to Contracts, Foundation Center, February 2018
- Speaker:Employee Performance Improvement Plan: What Does It Really Improve?, LeadingAge MD Annual Conference, April 2017
- Speaker: Using Your 990 as a Marketing Tool, Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, February 2017
- Speaker: IRS Reporting Compliance for 501 (c)(3) Organizations, Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals Annual Conference, August 2016
Memberships
- Board Member: Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards
- Chair: Institute for Credentialing Excellence Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
- Council Member: Institute for Credentialing Excellence Accreditation Services Council
- Council Member: Accreditation Council on Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Education
- Committee Member: American Society of Association Executives Ethics Committee
- Member: American Society of Association Executives
- Member: American Bar Association
Awards and Recognition
- Institute for Credentialing Excellence: Certified Credentialing Professional Certificate, March 2022
- Institute for Credentialing Excellence: Credentialing Specialist Certificate, March 2017
News, Events, & Insights
- Rimon adds Non-Profit Attorney Mark Franco in Virginia
News June 3, 2024