Mary Nash is the former managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Raleigh office. She works closely with local governments, nonprofits and others to finance capital improvements using tax advantage financing, primarily tax-exempt bonds. Her work includes financings for educational institutions, including public and private K-12 schools, charter schools, and public and private colleges and universities.
She assists local governments and nonprofits in traditional tax-exempt financings of capital projects, as well as more innovative financings that involve public-private partnerships, synthetic tax increment financing and new markets tax credits.
Mary Nash has been involved in nearly all of the affordable housing bond issues in the state over the past decade that involve tax exempt bonds and 4% tax credits, and she continues to work with local governments to find innovative ways to provide more affordable housing in North Carolina.
The best part of her practice is working with public and private borrowers to find ways to provide needed infrastructure and capital improvements using creative and cost-effective financing tools. “It is satisfying to know that when we finish a deal, something will be built that the community needs,” she said.
- Acted as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel for public finance issues, including, cities, counties (and related school boards), regional authorities, state agencies, public and private universities, private schools, housing authorities.
- Acted as bond counsel and bank counsel for numerous privately placed bank loans to cities, counties, school districts and other public entities.
- Acted as borrower’s counsel, lender’s counsel and underwriter’s counsel in new markets tax credit transactions to finance, among others, several public schools, a city arts center and theater, a manufacturing facility, a hospital addition, a biotech center, a YMCA facility, a downtown community facility and a charter school.
- Acted as bond counsel for numerous industrial development bonds (formally known as qualified small issue bonds) and exempt facility bonds (including solid waste disposal bonds) in North Carolina.
Events
- Speaker, "Financing Charter Schools in North Carolina — Issues and Opportunities," 16th Annual Nonprofit Seminar, October - November 2018
- Speaker, "Creative Tax Credit Financing in North Carolina – NMTC, HTC and LIHTC," CDFA North Carolina Conference, May 3, 2018
- Speaker, "Creative Tax Credit Financing in North Carolina – NMTC, HTC and LIHTC," CDFA North Carolina Conference, May 3, 2018
- Speaker, "Tax Exempt Bonds and 4% Tax Credits," 2015 North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference, October 29, 2015
- Speaker, "Next Decade of Alternate Project Delivery Systems – PPPs and the Role of Innovative Financing Techniques," Next Decade of Alternate Project Delivery Systems, September 25, 2013
- Speaker, "Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD) and Affordable Housing Bonds in North Carolina," Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, April 6, 2013
- Speaker, "SAD Story – Issues and Opportunities to Finance Infrastructure using Special Assessment Districts," North Carolina Bar Association, Government and Land Use Section, April 2011
- Chair, "Nuts and Bolts New Markets Tax Credits," Nuts and Bolts New Markets Tax Credits, 2011
- Chair, "Manufacturing Facilities, Enterprise and Gulf Opportunity Zone Bonds and Recovery Zone Facility Bonds," Bond Attorneys’ Workshop, 2009-2010
- Steering Committee, National Association of Bond Lawyers Bond Attorneys’ Workshop, 2009-2011
- Speaker, "New Opportunities for Municipal Bonds and New Tax Credit Bonds," New Opportunities for Municipal Bonds, 2009
- Speaker, "Public-Private Partnerships: Bringing it Home," Public-Private Partnerships, 2009
- Speaker, "After the Stimulus Act: Debt Financing Options for Local Governments," After the Stimulus Act, 2009
Insights
- Author, N.C. General Assembly Amends Ballot Question for 2024 Bond Referenda and Beyond, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, November 9, 2023
- Author, Treasury Approves New Municipal Liquidity Facility to Aid States, Counties and Cities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, April 10, 2020
- Author, IRS Clarifies Acceptable Tenant Preferences for Affordable Multifamily Housing Bonds, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, April 8, 2019
- Author, Proposed Securities Rule Changes for Municipal Issues Focus on Bank Loans, Other Private Placements, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 30, 2017
- Co-author, "New Coal Ash Standard May Reignite Tax-Exempt Bond Market," Law360, January 26, 2015
- Co-author, "An Attractive Alternative for Funding Expansion Projects," Health Care Law Roundtable, December 2014
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- Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Public Finance Law, North Carolina, Best Lawyers, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2024, 2026
- Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Banking and Finance Law, North Carolina, Best Lawyers, 2018, 2024, 2026
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Public Finance Law, 2017-2020, 2024, 2025, 2026; Banking and Finance Law, 2018, 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026
- Selected for inclusion in Leading Lawyers, Public Finance, North Carolina, Chambers USA, 2021-2025; Star Individual, 2024
- Named to “North Carolina Super Lawyers,” Government Finance, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2009-2021, 2023-2024
- Recipient, “Citizen Lawyer Award,” North Carolina Bar Association, 2022
- Recipient, North Carolina Housing Coalition’s Robert Kucab Professional of the Year Award, 2021
- Named to North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2021
- Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” Education, 2022
- Named to “Leaders in the Law,” North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2019
- Named to “North Carolina Top 50 Women,” Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2008-2012
- Recipient, Women in Business Award, Triangle Business Journal, 2009