Mary C. Garris
Member , Louisville KY
Mary is a Member of 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.
Education
University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, 2009, J.D., magna cum laude
University of Louisville, 2006, B.S., summa cum laude
Experience
Admitted In
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Kentucky
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U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky
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U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Professional & Community Activities
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Kentucky Bar Association
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Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Board Member; Executive Committee, Secretary
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StageOne, Board Member, 2018 – 2021
Accolades
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Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2025)
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Kentucky Rising Stars® Honoree, 2017-2018
Work Highlights
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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.
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Food Industry
Represented seller in the negotiation and documentation of a $10 million asset sale of the client’s chain of quick-service restaurants.
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Tourist Attraction
Represented the sellers in the negotiation and documentation of a $16.4 million stock purchase sale of a major tourist attraction.
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Manufacturing
Represented Canadian seller in the negotiation and documentation of a $13.5 million asset sale of the client’s Kentucky manufacturing business.
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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.
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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.
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