Mary C. Garris

Mary is a Member in Stoll Keenon Ogden’s Louisville office and has been with the firm since 2009. She is part of several practice groups at the firm, with a focus on Mergers & Acquisitions and serves as Chair of the Firm’s Business Development Committee. Mary also serves on the board of directors for the firm.

Honored as a Rising Star on the 2018 Kentucky Super Lawyers List for her work in her Mergers & Acquisitions practice, Mary has negotiated multimillion-dollar sales of businesses, in both stock and sales assets. In 2010, she assisted in drafting amendments to various Kentucky business entity statutes and the Kentucky Business Entity Filing Act.

Mergers & Acquisitions: Mary draws on her accomplished track record in representing both sellers and buyers in the negotiation and finalization of complex transactions involving the sale of companies and business assets. Depending on the nature of the deal, she considers regulatory, tax, contractual or other concerns.

Public Benefit Corporation Services: Mary’s familiarity with Kentucky’s Public Corporation statute and her work with Canopy (the Kentucky Public Benefit Corporation Association) allows her to help business clients determine if a public benefit election and/or certification is beneficial for their organizations.

Business Services: Beyond Mergers & Acquisitions, Mary assists clients with a broad range of business needs, including all types of contract review, drafting and negotiation, as well as entity formation. She represents local companies and major corporations across a variety of industries.

Corporate Finance & Lending: For financial institutions, commercial lenders and equity investors, Mary offers services that include documenting and negotiating loan originations and restructurings.

Real Estate: Many of the business transactions that Mary helps shepherd involve the acquisition, development and disposition of commercial real estate, as well as lease drafting and negotiating on behalf of both landlords and tenants.

Ambulance Certificates of Need: Mary has developed a niche in guiding local fire protection districts through the certificate of need application process to obtain authorization to provide ambulance services.

Recognition

• Kentucky Rising Stars® Honoree, 2017-2018

Work Highlights

Auto Dealership

Represented Kentucky auto dealership in the acquisition of an Indiana auto dealership. The $8.5 million transaction was structured as an asset purchase.

Related Practices: Mergers & Acquisitions

Food Industry

Represented seller in the negotiation and documentation of a $10 million asset sale of the client's chain of quick-service restaurants.

Related Practices: Alcohol & Hospitality, Mergers & Acquisitions

Tourist Attraction

Represented the sellers in the negotiation and documentation of a $16.4 million stock purchase sale of a major tourist attraction.

Related Practices: Mergers & Acquisitions

Manufacturing

Represented Canadian seller in the negotiation and documentation of a $13.5 million asset sale of the client's Kentucky manufacturing business.

Related Practices: Mergers & Acquisitions

Sale of California-based Wine Business

Represented a major wine and spirits corporation in the sale of its Hopland, California-based wine brands to another business based in Santiago, Chile. The $238 million transaction was structured as a stock purchase.

Related Practices: Business Services, Labor, Employment & Employee Benefits, Mergers & Acquisitions, Intellectual Property

Acquisition of Aggregate Processing & Handling Business

Represented a holding company in its acquisition of a business that designs, fabricates, installs and maintains aggregate processing and handling equipment.

Related Practices: Business Services, Mergers & Acquisitions

News

SKO Members appointed to ALFA International Leadership Roles, Sep. 21, 2020

Becoming a B Corp Benefits More Than the Greater Community, June 28, 2017

Five SKO Attorneys Recognized Among Top 50 Kentucky Super Lawyers, Nov. 18, 2016

SKO Elevates Nine Attorneys to Member Status, Feb. 25, 2016

SKO Attorney Mary Garris Chair-Elect of the KBA Business Law Section, June 27, 2011

Brown-Forman to Sell Fetzer Vineyards and Related Assets to Viña Concha y Toro S.A., Mar. 2, 2011

Five New Attorneys Join Stoll Keenon Ogden, Oct. 26, 2009

Publications

Becoming a Kentucky-Based Benefit Corp, Mar. 15, 2017

Are You Certifiable?, Nov. 11, 2016

Adverse Domination—Tolling the Statute of Limitations in Kentucky Business Organizations (Part I & Part II), Mar. 1, 2011

Affiliations

• Kentucky Bar Association

• Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Board Member; Executive Committee, Secretary

• StageOne, Board Member, 2018 - 2021