Patricia McGowan

Partner

Patsy McGowan is chair of the Baltimore Corporate Group.  Patsy focuses her practice on a wide range of corporate law matters, including corporate governance, securities transactions, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions, with a particular emphasis on Maryland corporation law as it relates to real estate investment trusts (REITs), financial institutions, and healthcare companies. She has provided counsel to issuers in multiple stock and debt offerings, including initial public offerings; and provided advice to companies, boards of directors, and board committees regarding corporate governance, takeover defense issues, and change of control transactions, including many valued at more than $1 billion. 

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Served as Maryland counsel in more than two dozen initial public offerings, including more than a dozen REITs
  • Served as Maryland counsel in more than a dozen publicly traded REIT mergers
  • Served as Maryland counsel for the special committees of several companies in their consideration and negotiation of strategic alternatives
  • Served as Maryland counsel in multiple mergers of bank holding companies
  • Served as Maryland counsel in the spinoffs of three publicly traded REITs 
  • Served as Maryland counsel in the spinoffs of two publicly traded consumer goods companies
  • Served as Maryland counsel to multiple REITs in connection with follow-on and at-the-market offerings
  • Counseled a large hospital system in the overhaul of bylaws and governance documents for a dozen hospitals and affiliates
  • Advised a major BlueCross/BlueShield insurer relating to board composition and governance matters
  • Served as Maryland counsel in listing of first U.S. public company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
  • Served as Maryland counsel in the merger of three publicly traded manufacturing and supply companies
 

Insights

Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. with honors University of Maryland School of Law 1995
  • B.A. Johns Hopkins University 1992

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Recognized in Chambers USA, REITs: Maryland Counsel, 2020
  • Member, American Bar Association, Business Law Section
  • Member, Maryland State Bar Association; past chair, Business Law Section and past chair, Committee on Corporation Law
 

Recognition
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  • The Best Lawyers in America
    • Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law, Baltimore, 2022
    • Corporate Law, 2018, 2020 – 2025
  • The Best Lawyers Business Edition, Women in the Law, Corporate Law, 2018 – 2019
  • Chambers USA
    • REITs: Maryland Counsel, Nationwide, 2014 – 2024
    • Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions, Maryland, 2013 – 2018, 2023 – 2024
    • Capital Markets: REITs, Nationwide, 2013
  • Chambers Global, Capital Markets: REITs: Maryland Counsel, 2014
  • Legal 500
    • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), 2016 – 2019
    • Leading Lawyer, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), 2022 – 2024
    • M&A/corporate and commercial - M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m), 2022