Varnum partner Mary Kay Shaver has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Influential Women of Law, Class of 2026. This recognition honors women attorneys and judges for their excellence in advocacy, community commitment, and service to the profession.
Shaver is a public and corporate finance attorney with a sophisticated and highly diversified practice. In her municipal finance practice, she advises clients on tax-exempt financing, the establishment of special taxing districts, election procedures, and blue sky law issues. She serves in a variety of roles, including bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bank’s counsel, and issuer’s counsel, and represents cities, townships, villages, district libraries, downtown development authorities, public schools, community colleges, and nonprofit entities.
Her corporate finance practice includes working capital loans, asset-based lending, equipment lease transactions, and Article 9 issues across single-lender and syndicated transactions. She advises clients across industries including furniture, food packaging, and automotive, and has served as local counsel on Michigan-law matters in complex lending transactions.
At Varnum, Shaver serves as co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Forum and mentors summer associates and associates, helping them navigate their careers and find success both professionally and personally. Outside of the firm, she has been a member of Michigan Women in Finance since 2009, serving as president from 2015 to 2016. Her professional affiliations also include the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the State Bar of Michigan, the Grand Rapids Bar Association, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, and the Michigan Council of School Attorneys.
Beyond her legal practice, Shaver has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and served as a trustee of the Rockford Education Foundation from 2018 to 2024, supporting educational opportunities in her community.
