Mary focuses primarily on land use and nonprofit law. Before joining Hanson Bridgett, she was the founding chief executive officer and general counsel of the Buck Institute for Age Research. During her tenure there, she gained extensive experience in corporate finance and development, construction, policy development, strategic planning, community organizing and electoral politics. She brings these skills to her land use practice to help clients develop collaborative approaches to reaching their land use goals.
Mary is also experienced in litigation and alternate dispute resolution. She successfully represented the executor of Mrs. Buck's estate as part of a multi-firm defense team representing various -- and sometimes competing -- interests during the Buck Trust litigation. The trial which became known as the "Superbowl of Probate."
Publications
"Sacred Tribal Sites: From Confrontation to Dialogue", North Bay Business Journal Executive Legal Guide (July 2005)
"The Delicate Dilemma of Negotiating Over Casinos," North Bay Business Journal Executive Legal Guide (July 2004)
"The Buck Trust Trial — A Litigator's Perspective," co-author, University of San Francisco Law Review (1987)
See All Publications
Presentations
"Working with Government Agencies," panelist, Tides Foundation National Collaborating for Success Conference for Nonprofit Organizations (May 2005)
"Impact of Indian Law on Local Land Use," Greenbelt Alliance, San Francisco (January 2004)
"Benefits and Pitfalls of Section 457 Plans for Nonprofits," panelist, Association of Independent Research Institutes (September 2002)
See All Presentations
Honors
North Bay Leadership Council, Leaders of the North Bay Award