• Commercial Leasing
• Real Estate Acquisitions
• Real Estate Financing
• Transactional Real Estate

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Michael Lewis is a member of the Firm's transactional department and specializes in real estate law. He has extensive experience representing developers, lenders and other clients in a variety of real estate transactions, including: acquisitions and dispositions; tax-deferred exchanges; retail, office and industrial leasing; ground leasing; construction and permanent financing; and workouts and foreclosures.

While representing landlords and tenants, Mr. Lewis has negotiated more than 300 retail, office and industrial leases. His retail leasing experience includes regional malls, power centers, factory outlet malls and community centers. Specific projects have included leasing of River at Rancho Mirage, West Hollywood Gateway, and Bella Terra.

As counsel for developers, Mr. Lewis has negotiated the purchase and sale of more than $3 billion worth of real estate, including office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, industrial buildings, apartment buildings and development sites. His representation includes the acquisition of an office building in Glendale, California for $73 million, the sale-leaseback of a $110 million development site in Los Angeles, and the acquisition of a $60 million office building in San Francisco.

As lender's counsel, Mr. Lewis has negotiated over $500 million in construction and permanent loans. His representation includes a $100 million letter of credit facility for the construction of an office building complex in Los Angeles, a $29 million construction loan for a shopping center in Hanford, California, and an $80 million permanent loan for an office building complex in Irvine, California.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Mr. Lewis is a member of the State Bar of California (Real Property Law Section), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Real Property Section), and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

EDUCATION
Mr. Lewis is a 1984 graduate of UCLA School of Law, where he was a participant in the Moot Court Honors Program. During law school, Mr. Lewis served as Judicial Extern to Judge Stephen R. Reinhardt, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Lewis graduated from Brown University in 1980.

ADMISSIONS

• Admitted, California
• Admitted, Colorado