Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson is Managing Partner of Dentons US and a member of its Board. She is a national finance, health care law and tax-exempt organization lawyer.

In her finance practice, she counsels and represents borrowers (including health care organizations, cultural institutions, schools and universities), underwriters, banks (as liquidity and/or credit providers) and issuers (including cities and counties in municipal financings), and she serves as bond counsel in tax-exempt bond issues and other finance transactions. Over the years, Mary has worked on billions of dollars worth of financings in many states, including put bonds, self-liquidity bonds, lines of credit, direct purchases, accounts receivable financings and fixed-rate financings and swaps. She also works on a wide variety of secured and unsecured lending transactions. In her practice, she:

• Advises clients with respect to securities, regulatory and tax compliance in the tax-exempt finance area
• Assists financial institutions and borrowers in negotiating documents that address the current regulatory requirements and risk environment
• Assists borrowers in structuring financings and in negotiating and drafting documents to maximize flexibility and minimize risks and restrictive covenants
• Counsels clients before and after closing on compliance with bond documents, loan documents and applicable law

In addition, Mary advises and represents hospitals and health systems in corporate transactions, such as restructurings, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, joint operating arrangements, physician contracting and alignment, as well as in finance strategy. She represents and counsels all types of tax-exempt organizations in transactions, governance matters, tax-exemption issues and organizational issues.

Mary is a regular speaker on finance, health care and transactional issues. She is a past board member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) and has served twice as a member of the Steering Committee for NABL’s Bond Attorneys’ Workshop.

Recognition

• Honors and Awards
• Named, Crain’s Chicago Business’ inaugural Notable Gen X Leaders in Law list, 2019
• Recognized in Leading Lawyer Magazine’s “Leading Women Lawyers” edition in the practice areas of Association and Non-Profit Law, Health Law and Public Finance Law. Mary is also ranked among the “Top 100” overall and the “Top 100” business attorneys, 2015.
• Recognized as the 2020, 2018 and 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” for Health Care by Best Lawyers in America®
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Health Care and Public Finance since 2007
• Listed, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Health Care, Illinois, 2014–2019
• Named, Illinois Super Lawyer, Health Care and Government Finance, 2011–2017
• Named, “Who’s Who in Chicago Business,” Crain’s Chicago Business, 2013–2016
• Named, Best Lawyers 2014 Chicago Public Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year”
• Named, “Outstanding Healthcare Transaction Lawyer,” Nightingale’s Healthcare News, 2008
• Named, “40 Illinois Attorneys under Forty to Watch,” Chicago Law Bulletin, 2006

Insights

• Chapter author, “The Role of Counsel to the Underwriters,” The Handbook of Municipal Bonds, 2008

Activities and Affiliations

Memberships

• Illinois Bar
• National Association of Bond Lawyers
• Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys
• American Health Lawyers Association
• Board member, KEEN Chicago, 2010–present
• Board member, Chicago Leadership Board, American Diabetes Association, 2013–present

Areas of focus

• Banking and Finance
• Corporate and Syndicated Lending
• Health Care
• Nonprofit Entities
• Public Finance

Education

University of Chicago Law School, 1992, JD, with honors

Yale University, 1989, BA, cum laude, with distinction in American Studies

Admissions and qualifications

Illinois