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Mary C. Taylor

When both sides win, everyone wins.

Contact: P /612.604.6604E /[email protected]

Education

University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1992

Drew University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1985

Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 2003

California, 1992

My Approach

I love the process of seeing a raw or underutilized piece of land turn into something productive for my clients and the community, and because of that I take on my clients’ problems as if they were my own. I want to make my clients feel that they can let go of some of their worries, because it’s my job to help them overcome obstacles and make sure their projects are realized. The best conversations I have with my clients are the ones where we pierce that superficial level of conversation, where I learn what is motivating them, so that I can tailor my service to really respond to each client’s individual needs and goals.

Outside of work, I am a passionate knitter and reader; I also love to cook and acquire kitchen toys, and to take my dachshund, Lily, on walks through our nearby park.

A Groundbreaking Moment in my Career

I assisted a local non-profit cancer care organization in purchasing land and developing a facility in Hopkins, MN. It was a difficult purchase, with environmental issues, and the sellers were impatient; many of the contributors had provided their services pro bono because of their personal connections with cancer. We got to the closing table, and many of those contributors attended, because they were truly invested in this care center project, having waited so long and worked so hard to open the doors. The atmosphere was tense, the sellers impatient and angry; they simply wanted the closing to be done. In an effort to diffuse a tense situation, prior to the final signing, I asked everyone in attendance if they would briefly share their own cancer stories, if they wished. As we went around the table, attendees shared stories of sisters and mothers, fathers and children affected by cancer, told in simple, moving ways. After learning what the acquisition of their property really meant to all of us, the sellers were so moved that they made a contribution to the cancer center right at the closing.

Practice Areas

Practicing Franchise Transactions

My Experience

I focus my practice on the real-estate related aspects of large franchise matters. I help clients buy or sell either fee or lease-held interests in franchise restaurants, and to finance and refinance their restaurant portfolios. I also assist clients to develop franchise restaurant properties, assisting with entitlement matters, environmental issues, and managing all of the legal aspects of property acquisition, from negotiating purchase terms, title and survey review, through the closing and development process.

I have experience in a wide range of corporate real estate matters, including acquisitions, financing, negotiating complex agreements, leasing, licensing, and managing strategic and business relationships.

Representative Matters

• Title and survey review and preparation of documentation required for the acquisition or refinancing of quick service (QSR) restaurant portfolios for various QSR franchisees.
• Draft purchase agreements and assist in negotiating government entitlements for the development or redevelopment of QSR restaurants in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Wyoming, Michigan and Montana.
• Draft and negotiate declarations and reciprocal easement and operation agreements required for the development of lots within retail shopping centers.

Practicing Real Estate Development & Transactions

My Experience

I focus my practice on the real estate-related aspects of corporate matters, including franchise transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and others. I have extensive experience in many areas of commercial real estate, including commercial leasing, the sale and acquisition of a wide range of property types, and both commercial and residential development, including lot assemblage, site planning, negotiation of development  and construction agreements and lot sales for both retail shopping centers as well as single-family, condominium and townhome communities in the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Representative Matters

• Title and survey review and preparation of documentation required for the acquisition or refinancing of commercial properties.
• Draft purchase agreements and assist in negotiating government entitlements for the development of commercial properties.
• Draft and negotiate declarations and reciprocal easement and operation agreements required for the development of multi-parcel commercial properties.
• Representation of clients in the purchase and sale of office buildings, industrial buildings, warehouses and retail shopping centers located in Minnesota.
• Representation of clients in the purchase and sale of retail shopping centers located in Minnesota.
• Draft and negotiate lease agreements on behalf of landlords for commercial properties located in Minnesota.

Also experienced in

Mergers & Acquisitions

General Corporate

Associations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Minnesota State Bar Association

State Bar of California

Minnesota Council of Real Estate Women

(MNCREW)

Minnesota Women Lawyers