Mary S. Ranum

Mary represents a wide range of clients on acquisitions and developments, financings and leasing. She is known for maintaining strong relationships with clients and bringing together the appropriate team to meet the needs of each client.

Mary 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 since 1984 and served as chair of the firm’s Board of Directors for eight years. 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 has significant experience with high volume real estate clients. For many years, she served as Minnesota counsel to a publicly-traded national homebuilder/developer. In that capacity, she directed a team of lawyers and paralegals in a full range of real estate law services. Mary regularly represents a national company in connection with the acquisition, development and leasing of large health clubs and collaborative office spaces. 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

Admissions

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

Clerkships

• Clerk, Honorable C. Donald Peterson, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1983-1984

• Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2008-2025
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Minnesota - Real Estate, 2010-2024
• Minnesota Super Lawyers, Real Estate, 2000-2024
• AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
• Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Marquis Who’s Who, 2018
• American College of Mortgage Attorneys
• Real Property Law Specialist, certified by the Real Property Section, Minnesota State Bar Association
• Top Women in Finance, Finance and Commerce, 2011
• 25 Industry Leaders List, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 2011
• Volunteer of the Year, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, 1997
• Order of the Coif

Professional Activities

• Concordia College-Moorhead, Board of Regents, 2014-present
• American College of Mortgage Attorneys, Fellow, 2007-present
• American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Fellow, 2015-present
• Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace Attorney Listings, 1997-present
• Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, Board Member, 2010-2022
• University of Minnesota Law School, Board of Advisors, 2013-2019
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Board of Pensions, Board of Trustees, 2003-2009
• University of Minnesota Law School, Law Alumni Association Directors, 1998-2003
• Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Board of Directors, 1993-2004
• Minnesota Justice Foundation, Board of Directors, 1993-1998
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property, Corporation, Banking and Business Law Sections
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Real Property Section
• Minnesota Law Review, Member, Managing Editor, 1981-83