Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough has announced that real estate attorney Marianne Gardner Sorensen has relocated her practice to its St. George office. Ms. Sorensen has worked with the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group in the Salt Lake City office for the past nine years and has a solid foundation in commercial real estate matters. Her expertise complements the current practice areas in the St. George office, especially in handling the increasingly complex commercial real estate projects emerging in the area.
Keven Rowe, president of the Jones Waldo firm, speaks highly of Sorensen and commends her flexibility in taking her practice to southern Utah. “Marianne has proven herself to be a dependable and knowledgeable real estate attorney. Her move to St. George will strengthen the real estate practice of the firm in southern Utah, as she continues to serve the firm’s Salt Lake City, regional and national real estate clients.”
In addition to Jones Waldo’s offices in Salt Lake City and St. George, the firm also has a presence in Park City and the Chicago metropolitan area. Luckily, the advent of technology allows full integration of the firm’s offices and practice areas, providing a wide range of legal services to clients all over the country.
“Right now, I am working on three commercial real estate projects in California, two in Hawaii, two in Colorado and several in Utah, while researching business and tax issues in Washington, Canada and Europe,” Sorensen says, gesturing to her telephone. “I’m also dealing with owners associations in office condominiums, residential condominiums and planned business complexes.”
Tim Anderson, head of the St. George Jones Waldo office, says he is pleased that the local office is able to meet the needs of sophisticated parties in significant real estate transactions - regardless of where the real estate is located.
According to Anderson, Sorensen will also be an asset to the community as she becomes involved in civic matters. “In addition to being a top-notch lawyer, Sorensen heads a group of Utah women who recently formed CREW Utah, the first local chapter of the national Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network, and is currently serving as its first president. She also holds a leadership position in the Real Property Section of the Utah State Bar and will soon serve as a member of the newly formed American Bar Association on Ground Leasing.
Sorensen has also been involved with charitable organizations with service on the board of directors of Alliance House, a nonprofit corporation serving those with mental illness. Although she is still in the process of settling in, she is already “looking into joining professional and service groups in St. George.”
Sorensen knows that doing large real estate deals is no picnic, especially when they involve multiple players out-of-state, but says the personal satisfaction in a job well-done make it all worth it. “Players in the commercial real estate world face daunting deadlines and difficult decisions,” says Sorensen, “and they appreciate working with an attorney who minimizes their stress by maintaining an even temper, utilizing a cooperative work style, and keeping a sense of humor alive and well.”
Marianne Gardner Sorensen was born in Richfield, Utah, and spent most of her childhood there. Her husband, Kendall Sorensen, is from Logan, Utah. “My husband and I feel very lucky to be able to live and work in an area similar to our home towns, where much of the big city craziness has not taken root,” Sorensen says. “This will be a great area to raise our children, and we are excited to enjoy the outdoor recreation opportunities this area is known for.”
