Kari K. Shay

Kari K. Shay is a Member in Clark Hill’s Education and Municipal Law group, based in the firm’s Birmingham office.  Kari represents Michigan public school districts and community colleges in finance, election, business contract negotiations and general school matters.

Kari commenced her practice nearly 25 years ago as a tax consulting specialist with Arthur Anderson/Anderson Consulting LLP.  Shortly after she commenced representing municipal entities in business contracts and a variety of school business matters.

With a background in the negotiation of business and construction agreements Kari developed a comprehensive expertise in all aspects of capital projects which remains unique to school attorneys. Over the past 16 years she has continued her original practice in business and construction contract negotiations while developing an expertise in finance and election law at Thrun Law Firm.     

Her capital finance experience includes voted and non-voted bonds, tax-credit bonds, capital tax anticipation notes, energy bonds, sinking funds and more. She also has extensive experience serving as bond counsel on refunding bonds and routinely serves as note counsel on equipment purchases using installment and lease purchase agreements as well as all forms of cash flow borrowings, such as state aid notes, tax anticipation notes, and lines of credit. Kari also developed a proficiency in a wide-range of election matters from drafting basic millage and bond proposals, addressing Headlee issues and guiding districts in Campaign Finance Act compliance to the resolution of complex election matters and election litigation.

Early in her career Kari established a unique specialization in advising districts on booster clubs and other parent support groups with a focus on funding and liability issues. She has assisted districts with structuring scholarships and the formation of educational foundations. Relying on her tax and accounting background she continues to maintain a rare expertise in the use of public funds, donations, grant proceeds and advising districts on student and building activities from an accounting and legal perspective.

Kari is currently the only attorney to serve on the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) Referent Group or advisory board for Bulletin 1022 (Michigan Public School Accounting Manual). Kari was recently nominated to and serves on the Board for Michigan Women in Finance (MWIF). She is currently enrolled in the Harvard Business School online program for certification in Financial Accounting with an anticipated certificate completion date of January 2021.