Phone (901) 522-9000
Fax (901) 527-3746
lkeough@martintate.com

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Liz Keough is a Director with Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, P.C., having joined the firm in 2000. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University in 1992, and received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Memphis in 1995. While in law school, Liz was awarded American Jurisprudence Awards in Evidence and Trial Advocacy. She served as an Associate Justice of the Moot Court and was a member of the National Moot Court and National Mock Trial teams in 1994 and 1995, respectively.

Liz has had a varied practice throughout her career and has gained experience in a multitude of areas. Currently, she practices in the area of commercial law with an emphasis in real estate, general business law, commercial litigation and tax incentive work.

Tax Incentives
Liz has developed a specialty in the area of tax incentive work, working with the firm's Economic Development Section with the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) programs of the Shelby County, Tennessee Industrial Development Boards. Some representative work of the Economic Development team includes:

• achieving new 13 year PILOT incentive for company with existing PILOT to expand in its current location; presented argument for additional years of PILOT due to company's extraordinary diversity efforts leading to IDB's first approval of an award of additional years for diversity achievement under new program rules resulting in an additional $300,000 worth of tax savings, for a total Project tax savings exceeding $2.3 million;
   
• successfully negotiating and documenting a tax incentive package with unprecedented benefits for the headquarters move of a Fortune 100 company to Memphis;
   
• developing new co-applicant model for tax exemption program for use in third party logistics operations;
   
• obtaining Memphis City Council approval for tax exemption involving roll-back of tax assessment on existing property leading to implementation of Community Reinvestment Act;
   
• negotiating settlement of major default of tax exemption requirements, working with local elected officials, government and private sector contacts to permit large company to retain its tax exemption for full term awarded, and thus avert a probable closedown of operations.

• In plaintiff case involving multi-million dollar claim and four defendants with third party claims and cross claims, developed novel statute of limitations theory for negligent misrepresentation that was upheld by two federal judges and was an important factor in settlement of the case; later published, "The Weakest Link: Application of the Property Damage Statute of Limitation to Tort Claims for Purely Economic Damages" 32 U. Mem. L. Rev. 45 (Fall 2001).
   
• Defended broker in NASD case charged with breach of promissory note involving multiple counterclaims and resulting in unusually favorable settlement terms for client.
   
• Prepared petition and briefed claim for non-profit defending right to $400,000 gift from trust against claim that trust had been revoked, resulting in successful settlement of claim.
   
• Foreclosed condominium unit on behalf of condominium owners association.
   
• Successfully assisted small business in avoiding bankruptcy by negotiating workout with vendors.