Frannie Reilly

Profile

Martha “Frannie” Reilly is Co-Chair of McNees’ Public Finance and Government Services Group, which was recently ranked third in Pennsylvania for its bond counsel work by The Bond Buyer. The team provides comprehensive, responsive advice regarding the complex legal issues and challenges faced by state agencies, political subdivisions, school districts, municipalities and authorities. She also practices in the Corporate and Tax Group and leads the firm’s Charitable and Non-Profit and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Groups.

Public Finance
Frannie has extensive experience serving as bond, borrower, institution and underwriter’s counsel to issuers, colleges, universities, schools, health care institutions, state agencies and investment banking firms. She advises clients with the issuance, offering, structuring, remarketing and restructuring of tax-exempt and taxable municipal securities and other debt instruments.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Recognizing the opportunities available to companies and organizations to leverage ESG strategies to support their long-term success, Frannie counsels clients on the use of ESG Bonds and Green Bonds to further their sustainability plans. She offers presentations to nonprofit organizations, for-profit business leaders and granting organizations on the benefits of implementing policies focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Frannie advises businesses of all sizes on the development and implementation of corporate policies, best practices and corporate governance.

Charitable and Nonprofit
Frannie has served as outside general counsel to numerous nonprofit organizations, including colleges, universities, charter schools and foundations. She leverages her experience to advise charitable and nonprofit organizations on fiduciary duties, contract issues, compliance concerns, mergers and affiliations, fiscal sponsorships and general corporate reviews.

Community Involvement
Frannie is passionate about sharing legal education and is an adjunct professor for La Salle University’s  Masters of Science in the Nonprofit Leadership Program, where she teaches the Law and Ethics course and Capstone course. She also volunteers her time training and supporting attorneys through Philadelphia VIP, which provides pro bono legal representation to low-income individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits.

She is an active member of McNees’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee. As a former leader and owner of a successful business, Frannie understands the value of working with and supporting women-owned businesses. She currently serves as McNees’ Supplier Diversity Council Member for the Women’s Business Enterprise Center (WBEC) – East, an advocacy group for women business owners and entrepreneurs in the Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey regions. Her long-term involvement with the group led McNees to become the first law firm to join the Council in this region.

Frannie is dedicated to giving back to her community and is involved in several nonprofit organizations. Most notably, she is the founder and president of the Foundation for Wallingford-Swarthmore Schools, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to ensure teachers and students continue to promote innovation, creativity and excellence, especially in difficult economic times.

What clients say about working with Frannie
“As the President/Executive Director of a national non-profit organization, Frannie Reilly has provided our organization much needed legal services for many years. In serving as counsel for Sunshine Foundation, we have always felt confident that whatever challenges we face Frannie is there to have a critical, detailed, and meticulous eye in any situation and give sound legal advice. As we have discussion on items of attention, Frannie is always objective and careful to weigh options and work with us on our expectations and how we can have reasonable and legally founded results. Having many unusual challenges these past couple of years through the pandemic, knowing our attorney, Frannie Reilly, was always available to help guide myself, our Board, and our Staff in keeping our program active in such trying times has been of critical service to the Sunshine Foundation. All of us at Sunshine Foundation are grateful for Frannie’s role in helping us to continue our mission.” – Kate Sample President, Sunshine Foundation.