I focus on litigation and transactional real estate matters involving land use, zoning, entitlements, and environmental permitting for complex and controversial projects. I represent clients on a wide range of projects including residential, office, corporate R&D campuses, industrial, commercial, and mixed-use. I advise clients on all aspects of development projects, from due diligence to project approval, bringing extensive experience in local planning and zoning regulations, the California Environmental Quality Act, the Subdivision Map Act, and the California Coastal Act. Specializations include: Land Use Entitlement California Environmental Quality Act Subdivision Map Act Water Law Initiative and Referendum Coastal Act Surface Mining & Reclamation Renewable Energy Permitting Writ of Mandate Litigation Historical Resources State and Federal Natural Resources Permitting Real Estate Due Diligence Housing Policy and Law Governmental Organization Counsel LAFCO and Annexation

Michelle brings nearly 20 years of residential and mixed-use development and homebuilding experience to the City Ventures team. At a very early age, she discovered her passion for architecture, urban design, and real estate development and has been pursuing land development opportunities for residential homebuilding and mixed-use projects since the very start of her career. Joining City Ventures in 2011, Michelle leads the Southern California development team and is responsible for managing the team’s development pipeline. In her role, Michelle and her team are focused on both identifying underutilized infill properties in supply constrained urban markets throughout California and the value-add entitlement strategy for those property acquisitions. Working closely with landowners, city officials, community stakeholders, the brokerage community, and project and design consultants, Michelle manages all aspects of site acquisition including identifying the development opportunity, analyzing the financial viability of the potential project, structuring the deal, negotiating the contract, analyzing the feasibility of the future community, overseeing project entitlements and permitting, and consummating the transaction through build-out. She has worked in several counties and cities throughout California and has successfully acquired over 3,500 lots for the company. Prior to City Ventures, Michelle was an Acquisitions and Development Associate with Province Group, a private entrepreneurial real estate development and investment company. She began her career with Newhall Land and Farming Company as a development associate before joining Richmond American Homes, a publicly traded homebuilder, where her focus was on land acquisition and market analysis. Michelle serves on two non-profit Boards: HomeAid Orange County and the Irvine Campus Housing Authority. For HomeAid Orange County, Michelle is the current Vice President of Board Development and is the immediate past President serving in that role in 2021 and 2022. Michelle is a former Board Member for the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association (BIA) and previously served as the Chair of the Next Gen Group. She has been an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Member since 2005 and has been actively involved in the ULI Orange County Young Leaders Group (YLG), Multi-Housing Local Product Council (MHLPC), Housing (For Sale) Local Product Council, and NEXT Local Product Council. Michelle received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and spent a semester studying international business at the Copenhagen Business School in Copenhagen, Denmark.