Introduction

Mary Ranum is a certified Real Property Law Specialist and has been elected to the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. She has been a member of the Real Estate and Bank & Finance Practice Groups at Fredrikson & Byron since 1984, and is currently Chair of the Firm’s Board of Directors. Mary works with a broad range of clients including lending institutions, major retailers, health care providers, and real estate developers on acquisitions, financings, and leasing. Mary represents nonprofit borrowers in connection with tax-exempt bond financing, including educational institutions and health care organizations.

Mary advises clients on master developer and end user purchase agreements or leases. Similarly, she advises on community associations structure and documentation, assuring local law compliance particularly regarding the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act (MCIOA). Mary has significant experience both with multi-state and in-state high volume real estate clients. For many years, she has served as Minnesota counsel to a publicly-traded national homebuilder/developer. In that capacity, she directs a team of lawyers and paralegals in a full range of real estate law services. Mary also regularly represents a publicly-traded national restaurant company in connection with the leasing and development of its corporate-owned restaurants throughout the country.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1983, magna cum laude
• Concordia College, B.A., Mathematics and Business Administration, 1978, summa cum laude

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota, 1983
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1983

Practice Areas

• Real Estate
• Bank & Finance
• Banking & Financial Services Litigation
• Franchise

Selected Publications & Presentations

• Presenter, “Key Developments that Every Banker Should Know,” Fredrikson & Byron Bank & Finance Seminar, September 22, 2011
• “Real Estate Legislative Update: 2011 Minnesota Legislative Session,” co-authored with Heidi M. Loch, Summer Associate, FredNEWS: Real Estate, August 2011
• Moderator, “Strategies for Buying and Selling Distressed Commercial Real Estate: What Opportunities Lie Ahead,” 2011 Commercial Real Estate Forum, March 8, 2011
• “Real Estate Legislative Update: 2010 Minnesota Legislative Session,” co-authored with Hiep Pham and Mark Vyvyan, FredNEWS: Real Estate, August 2010
• “Understanding Recent Changes to Minnesota’s Green Acres Program,” co-authored with Jeffrey Serum, FredNEWS: Real Estate, July 2010
• “Real Estate Legislative Update - 2009 Minnesota Legislative Session,” co-authored with Maya Zahn, Summer Associate, FredNEWS: Real Estate, September 2009
• “Q & A: How to Prepare for and Respond to a Loan Default,” co-authored with Carrie Seele, FredNEWS: Bank & Finance, June 2009
• “A Healthcare Facility Lease Check-up,” co-authored with Katie Cole, FredNEWS: Real Estate, April 2009
• “Legal Strategies and Consideration for Healthcare Facilities,” Minnesota Healthcare & Medical Properties Conference, March 31, 2009
• “Effectively Managing Real Estate Assets: Case Study,” Minnesota Medical Group Management Association 2009 Winter Conference, March 9-11, 2009
• “The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: A Real Estate Perspective,” co-authored with Daniel Piper, FredNEWS: Real Estate, October 27, 2008
• “Lending in Troubled Times,” Eide Bailly’s 28th Annual Bankers Seminar, October 30, 2008
• “The 2008 Minnesota Legislative Session Brings Many Real Estate Law Changes,” co-authored with Brian McCool and Brian Clark, Summer Associate, FredNEWS: Real Estate, August 2008
• “Troubled Real Estate Loans: A Lender’s Perspective,” Fredrikson & Byron Real Estate Conference: Troubled Real Estate Loans in a Down Market, April 30, 2008
• “Real Estate Legislative Update – 2007 Minnesota Legislative Session,” co-authored with Katie Burkhart, Summer Associate, FredNEWS: Real Estate, July 2007
• “2006 Real Estate Legislative Update,” co-authored with Keri McWilliams, Fredrikson & Byron’s Real Estate Focus Newsletter, August 2006
• Speaker, Fredrikson & Byron’s Leadership Series for Women: Negotiations 101, May 2006
• “Developments in Takings Law,” co-authored with Mark Vyvyan, Fredrikson & Byron’s Real Estate Focus Newsletter, August 2005
• “Security Interests in Contracts for Deed,” co-authored with Brian S. McCool, Fredrikson & Byron’s Real Estate Focus Newsletter, November 2004, Fredrikson & Byron’s Bank Focus Newsletter, June 2004
• “2004 Real Estate Legislative Update,” co-authored with Katie Cole, Mark W. Vyvyan, and Elizabeth C. Zamzow, Fredrikson & Byron’s Real Estate Focus Newsletter, July 2004

Professional Activities

• Chair, Fredrikson & Byron's Board of Directors
• Board Member, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, 2010-present
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property, Corporation, Banking and Business Law Sections
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Real Property Section
• American College of Mortgage Attorneys, 2007-present
• Minnesota Justice Foundation, Board of Directors, 1993-1998
• Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Board of Directors, 1993-2004
• University of Minnesota Law School, Law Alumni Association Directors, 1998-2003
• Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace Attorney Listings, 1997-present
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Board of Pensions, Board of Trustees, 2003-present
• Honorable C. Donald Peterson, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1983-84

Honors & Distinctions

• American College of Mortgage Attorneys
• Top Women in Finance, 2011, Finance and Commerce
• Named to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 25 Industry Leaders List, 2011
• Ranked in Chambers USA; America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
• Real Property Law Specialist, certified by the Real Property Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association
• MEDA’s Volunteer of the Year, 1997
• Member, Managing Editor, Minnesota Law Review, 1981-83
• Order of the Coif
• Minnesota Super Lawyer, Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine
• The Best Lawyers in America (nominated by peers), 2009 and 2010 editions