Primary Focus & Experience
Mike has extensive experience in private practice and as in-house counsel at several Seattle-based companies. This background has equipped him to handle a broad range and wide variety of business issues and transactions and all types of real estate projects.
Mike’s in-house experience includes working for companies covering a broad spectrum of sizes—from start-ups to Fortune 200 companies—in a variety of industries. The in-house work afforded Mike the opportunity to play a leadership role in company mergers, acquisitions and liquidations as well as to develop an expertise in corporate governance. He brings this in-house experience as general counsel of companies to bear as he serves as “outside general counsel” for many of his clients. Having actively participated on management teams when he was in-house, Mike has grappled with myriad issues that companies face and approaches them with a practical, business perspective rather than a purely legalistic point of view.
Much of Mike’s private practice experience has involved transactional real estate work, representing clients engaged in developing and financing projects, mostly in the Pacific Northwest. He partners with other attorneys at the firm who specialize in land use work to provide full-service representation to developer clients.
In-House Counsel Experience
- Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, Seattle, WA (2010-2015)
- SVP, Chief Counsel & Corporate Secretary
- Washington Mutual Bank/JPMorgan Chase Bank, Seattle, WA (2002-2009)
- SVP & General Counsel, Retail Banking (2006-2009)
- SVP & Associate General Counsel (2004-2006)
- SVP & Senior Counsel (2002-2003)
- Cytran, Inc., Kirkland, WA (1994-2001)
- General Counsel (1996-2001)
- Corporate Counsel (1994-1996)
- Burlington Environmental Inc., Seattle, WA (1992-1994)
- SVP, Law and Governmental Affairs
- Glacier Park Company, Seattle, WA (1989-1992)
- VP, Law and Environmental Affairs
Representative Transactions: Real Estate Law
- Represented Seattle Children’s Hospital in securing rights under a ground lease to construct a clinic in Everett, Washington.
- Represented Bosa Development in securing rights to acquire a downtown Seattle city block from the City of Seattle to develop the Civic Square project.
- Represented St. Thomas School in Medina in securing easement rights to construct a new facility adjacent to its current campus.
- Represented Beacon Capital Partners in the sale of the Exchange Building and the acquisition of the Metropolitan Park East and West buildings, all downtown Seattle properties.
Representative “Outside General Counsel” Clients
- AAA Washington
- The Seneca Real Estate Group, Inc.
Community Involvement
- Full Life Care (formerly Elderhealth Northwest)
- Board President (2012-2014)
- Board and Advisory Board member (1984-2022)
- Leadership Tomorrow (Class of 1984 and former board member)
- King County Bar Association Housing Justice Project (former volunteer)
- Volunteer Attorneys for People with AIDS (former volunteer)
- Washington Research Council (former board member)
- Camp Fire Central Puget Sound (former board member)
Education
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
- The Georgetown Law Journal
- Editorial Board, Notes Editor
- B.A., Harvard College, cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Washington State Bar Association – Member
- King County Bar Association - Member