Mary Katherine Rawls

Partner

404.885.2546

More ways to contact Mary Katherine Rawls

Mary Katherine's clients rely on her to structure and provide guidance on a variety of corporate transactions, including capital raising and fund formation, corporate governance, joint ventures, and strategic M&A transactions.

Articles + Publications

The OBBB Renews and Makes Permanent Qualified Opportunity Funds
Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Mary Katherine focuses on representing public and private companies in the REIT and real estate industries in their securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, including joint ventures. Clients also turn to Mary Katherine for counseling throughout their lifecycle on governance and corporate matters.

She has substantial experience representing companies in various corporate transactions, including serving as counsel to numerous public, non-listed REITs’ initial public and follow-on offerings totaling more than $10 billion, as well as representing numerous perpetual life, NAV REITs in their private investments in various real estate classes, including but not limited to multifamily and wireless assets. 

  • Represented Steadfast Apartment REIT, Inc., a non-traded public REIT, in connection with its $7 billion merger with Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT)
  • Represented a software and services focused private equity firm in its sale of a portfolio retail company.
  • Represented Steadfast Apartment REIT, Inc. in its acquisitions of Steadfast Income REIT, Inc. and Steadfast Apartment REIT III, Inc., with a $3.3 billion resulting company.
  • Issuer counsel to numerous public, non-listed REITs’ initial public and follow-on offerings totaling over $10 billion.
  • Counsel to numerous perpetual life, NAV REITs in their private offerings to invest in various real estate classes, including but not limited to multifamily and wireless assets.
  • Counsel to numerous closed-end REITs in their private offerings to invest in data center assets, wireless infrastructure assets, and multifamily assets.
  • Counsel to various closed-end and open-end private real estate funds in their private offerings to invest in various asset classes.
  • Counsel to an Opportunity Zone Fund in connection with its $50 million private offering to invest in qualifying opportunity zone investments.
  • Counsel to a Delaware Statutory Trust in connection with its private offering to facilitate Section 1031 transactions.
  • Counsel to a private venture capital fund in connection with its private offering to acquire certain portfolio investments.
  • Super Lawyers®: “Rising Star,” Georgia (2024)
  • Legal 500 United States for REITs (2022)
Overview

Mary Katherine focuses on representing public and private companies in the REIT and real estate industries in their securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, including joint ventures. Clients also turn to Mary Katherine for counseling throughout their lifecycle on governance and corporate matters.

She has substantial experience representing companies in various corporate transactions, including serving as counsel to numerous public, non-listed REITs’ initial public and follow-on offerings totaling more than $10 billion, as well as representing numerous perpetual life, NAV REITs in their private investments in various real estate classes, including but not limited to multifamily and wireless assets. 

Representation Matters
  • Represented Steadfast Apartment REIT, Inc., a non-traded public REIT, in connection with its $7 billion merger with Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT)
  • Represented a software and services focused private equity firm in its sale of a portfolio retail company.
  • Represented Steadfast Apartment REIT, Inc. in its acquisitions of Steadfast Income REIT, Inc. and Steadfast Apartment REIT III, Inc., with a $3.3 billion resulting company.
  • Issuer counsel to numerous public, non-listed REITs’ initial public and follow-on offerings totaling over $10 billion.
  • Counsel to numerous perpetual life, NAV REITs in their private offerings to invest in various real estate classes, including but not limited to multifamily and wireless assets.
  • Counsel to numerous closed-end REITs in their private offerings to invest in data center assets, wireless infrastructure assets, and multifamily assets.
  • Counsel to various closed-end and open-end private real estate funds in their private offerings to invest in various asset classes.
  • Counsel to an Opportunity Zone Fund in connection with its $50 million private offering to invest in qualifying opportunity zone investments.
  • Counsel to a Delaware Statutory Trust in connection with its private offering to facilitate Section 1031 transactions.
  • Counsel to a private venture capital fund in connection with its private offering to acquire certain portfolio investments.
Insights

Articles + Publications

The OBBB Renews and Makes Permanent Qualified Opportunity Funds

Speaking Engagements

IMN’s Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing

Firm Events

Timely Topics for Real Estate Funds and REITs

Speaking Engagements

The 24th Annual US Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing Forum

See all insights from Mary Katherine Rawls

Awards
  • Super Lawyers®: “Rising Star,” Georgia (2024)
  • Legal 500 United States for REITs (2022)

Top areas of focus

  • Institute for Portfolio Alternatives – Rising Leaders Council

Education

  • University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D., 2014
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville, B.S., 2010

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia
  • Panelist, “Issues to Watch: Regulation Best Interest & The Harmonization of Securities Offering Exemptions,” IMN’s 15th Annual Western Non-Listed Alternative Investment Products Symposium, December 4, 2019.