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Melissa McMorries, Estate Planning, Corporate Attorney

Melissa E. McMorries

Partner

678.336.7155

Atlanta

Profile

Taylor English allows me the flexibility to apply my sophisticated skill set to the legal problems and concerns of real people and to reach solutions that work for their particular needs.

Melissa (Missi) McMorries has extensive experience in a variety of corporate matters, both large and small. Her work in corporate governance and transactions, coupled with her trust and estate planning experience, position her to advise both closely held and family businesses in their day-to-day and long-range planning and needs.

Ms. McMorries represents several manufacturing companies, technology start-up businesses, health care management companies and event planning, production and public relations firms. She has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, corporate finance and restructuring, negotiating complex corporate and commercial agreements and negotiating disputes between business owners.

Ms. McMorries’ estate planning practice includes preparation of wills, trusts and related documents, including counseling clients on tax planning options. She also counsels same-sex couples on estate planning and cohabitation matters.

Ms. McMorries started her career in-house, first with RJR Nabisco Inc. as counsel and then The Regina Co. as vice president and general counsel. She later went into private practice, first with a business law firm based in Atlanta and then with an international law firm, in their respective corporate and securities groups. After serving as interim executive director of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, she formed her own practice, representing start-up companies and estate planning clients. Ms. McMorries has been an adjunct professor of law at Emory University School of Law since January 2012, teaching “deal skills” to second- and third-year law students enrolled in Emory’s Transactional Law Certificate Program.

Memberships

North Carolina State Bar, 1982-present

Atlanta Bar Association – Estate Planning & Probate Section

Women’s Finance Exchange, Board of Directors

Lost-n-Found Youth, Board of Directors

Community Involvement

The Atlanta Opera, Board of Directors, 2007-2010

Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Board of Directors, 1997-2008; President, 2002-2004

Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta (ALMA), Alumna

Practice Highlights

Experience

Secured loan guaranteed by rural development
Represented ESE Holdings in obtaining a $5 million loan from Farmers and Merchants Bank. The loan proceeds are being used for growth and expansion plans. The loan is guaranteed by Rural Development, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Sale of software business to a private equity-backed platform software developer
Represented longtime client in the sale of their software business to a private equity-backed platform software developer. Client was able to successfully exit the business at an enterprise value of $30 million (well in excess of their expectations) after an initial investment of less than $1 million.
Represented management in dispute with private equity investor
Represented management of an industrial services company in their dispute with a controlling private equity investor. The representation ultimately led to a management buyout at a deep discount on the investor’s initial investment and subsequent triple digit annual returns on management’s investment.
Represented a paper converter in all business matters
Represented a paper converter in all business matters, including four acquisitions and two leveraged recapitalizations over a ten year period. Investor equity during that period increased 40 times.