Michele’s career in commercial leasing, real estate acquisition, disposition, and financing spans more than 30 years, 12 of which were as in-house counsel to one of Hawai‘i’s largest real estate companies; an experience that gives her a practical perspective with unique insight on client service.
Michele’s legal practice covers a wide range of areas including extensive retail, industrial, and office leasing, acquisitions and dispositions of real estate, commercial loan management and workouts for institutional lenders, and commercial loan transactions ranging from $200,000 to $750,000,000.
For more than a decade, Michele served as Associate General Counsel for Alexander & Baldwin, an experience that gives her a rare expertise in collaborating on projects with various departments and divisions within a large company. This role has also provided Michele with a practical approach to problem solving and helping clients achieve their goals.
Experience
Leasing
- Counsel for shopping center landlords in connection with commercial leases to national and big box tenants
- Counsel for both national and small tenants in shopping centers, offices, and industrial centers
- Counsel for office building and condominium project landlords in connection with leases to office and retail tenants
- Counsel for tenants and landlords in connection with industrial space and ground leases
- Counsel for both landlords and tenants in connection with commercial ground leases and pad leases
Acquisitions and Dispositions
- Counsel for multi-island hotel seller
- Counsel for buyers of $373 million commercial portfolio
- Counsel for buyer of 185K medical office building portfolio
- Counsel for buyer of $130 million residential portfolio
- Counsel for sellers and buyers of various office and industrial buildings
- Counsel for sellers and buyers of various shopping centers
Financing
- Counsel for borrower in $400 million corporate financing
- Counsel for borrower in $120 million construction loan
- Counsel for borrower in $177 million construction loan
- Counsel for large institutional Hawai‘i lender in restructuring commercial loan portfolios
- Counsel for large institutional Hawai‘i lender in sales of managed assets
- Counsel for institutional lenders in real estate secured loans, loan participations and syndications, and corporate financings
- Counsel for landlords in connection with commercial ground leases and pad leases
Awards
- Listed in Chambers & Partners, USA Guide, since 2021
- Listed in Best Lawyers® since 2021
Community Involvement
- The Cades Foundation, Vice President/Secretary 2021-Present
- Family Programs Hawai‘i, Director, 2016-2021
- Hawai‘i Nature Center, Director, 2010-2018
- Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Director, 2008-2014
Education
- J.D. (1990), William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i
- B.A. Journalism (1987), University of Oregon
- B.A. Romance Languages, French and Spanish (1987), University of Oregon
Admissions
- Hawai‘i State Bar (1990)
- United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i (1990)
Membership
- American Bar Association
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- Real Property & Financial Services Section, Hawaii State Bar Association
- Hawai‘i Real Estate Commission, Commissioner 2004-2012
- Chair, Condominium Review Committee 2009-2012
- Vice Chair, Laws and Rules Committee 2006-2009
- Vice Chair, Condominium Review Committee 2005-2006
- “Top 10 Legal Considerations for Commercial Landlords and Tenants Amid COVID-19,” Pacific Business News (November 6, 2020) (Author)
- “In with Online, Out with In-Store,” Cades Schutte ke kumu (Winter 2018) (Author)
- “Unlocking Commercial Real Estate Success: Navigating Lease vs. Own,” Central Pacific Bank Rising Tide Webinar (March 7, 2024) (Co-Presenter)
