Cipriano, Melissa

TARA P. ELLIS is a partner in the Jackson, Mississippi office. Tara's practice focuses on Corporate, Gaming Law, and Commercial Transactions.

Along with the handling of general corporate and commercial transaction matters, Tara's practice includes the regular representation of casino operators, gaming equipment manufacturers and distributors and lenders in gaming compliance issues and in obtaining requisite permits and license approvals from the Mississippi Gaming Commission and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Department of Revenue. Tara has been involved in the development of several casinos in Mississippi and has experience with many facets of the casino development process, from financing to corporate structuring to local permitting issues.

Tara also represents gaming entities in patron disputes concerning disputed jackpots before the Mississippi Gaming Commission and the Mississippi court system, including Eash v. Imperial Palace of Mississippi, LLC, 4 So. 3d 1042 (Miss. 2009).

In addition to gaming related financing transactions, Tara's commercial transaction experience includes serving as counsel to a state housing authority in the implementation of various programs for affordable housing developments financed with low-income housing tax credits, conventional loans and federal grant funds.