Mary Kay Shaver

Public Finance and Corporate Finance Attorney

Mary Kay has a diverse practice focusing on public and corporate finance. In the area of municipal finance, she advises clients on tax-exempt financing issues, establishing special taxing districts, election procedures and “blue sky” law issues, and acts as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bank’s counsel and issuer’s counsel in various tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions. These financings include general obligation (limited and unlimited tax) bonds, revenue bonds, capital improvement bonds, special assessment bonds, tax increment financing bonds, refunding bonds, installment purchase agreements, tax anticipation notes and state aid anticipation notes. Mary Kay represents all types of entities, including cities, townships, villages, district libraries, downtown development authorities, public schools, charter schools, community colleges and hospitals.

Mary Kay’s corporate finance practice includes advising clients on working capital loans, asset-based lending loans, equipment lease transactions and Article 9 issues. This practice involves single lender transactions, syndicated transactions and transactions for diverse industries, such as the furniture, food packaging and automotive industries. Mary Kay also acts as local counsel for transactions needing opinions relating to Michigan law issues. Mary Kay has extensive experience advising clients on the Paycheck Protection Program provided for under the CARES Act. In addition to guiding numerous clients through the process, she has written extensively and served as a media source on this program and its implementation.

Experience

Public Finance

Representation of governmental issuers in issuing tax-exempt bonds, notes and other obligations with principal amounts ranging from $100,000 to $135 million.

Representation of universities and colleges in issuing tax-exempt obligations with principal amounts ranging from $6 million to $44 million.

Representation of underwriters in taxable and tax-exempt transactions with principal amounts ranging from $1 million to $85 million.

Advising municipal clients in drafting ballot language for the approval of revenue bonds, truth-in-taxation and Headlee rollback issues.

Acting as bond counsel and counsel to public school academies in issuing tax-exempt obligations.

Corporate Finance

Representation of corporate borrowers in taxable and tax-exempt transactions with principal amounts ranging from $2.5 million to $7 million.

Representation of corporate borrowers in lending transactions with principal amounts ranging from $2.5 million to $75 million.

Acting as local counsel in lending transactions with principal amounts ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 billion.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America^®, Banking and Finance Law, since 2018; Public Finance Law, since 2024

Best Lawyers in America^®, Lawyer of the Year, Banking and Finance Law (Grand Rapids), 2023

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, Notable Women in Law, 2025

DBusiness, Top Lawyers, Banking & Financial Service Law, 2026

Grand Rapids Magazine’s Top Lawyers, Banking and Financial Service Law, since 2019

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Women in the Law, 2020

Professional Affiliations

Grand Rapids Bar Association

Michigan Association of Public School Academies

Michigan Council of School Attorneys

National Association of Bond Lawyers

State Bar of Michigan

Community Involvement

Habitat for Humanity, volunteer

Michigan Women in Finance: member, 2009 – present; president, 2015 – 2016

Rockford Education Foundation, trustee, 2018 – 2024