Michael Hamilton is a real estate attorney in the Los Angeles office of DLA Piper LLP (US). In 2008, The Daily Journal named him one of Los Angeles’ Top 20 Under 40 Lawyers, and Institutional Investors News named him one of its 20 Rising Stars of Real Estate. He has also been named a Southern California Rising Star, in a research process conducted by Los Angeles and Law & Politics magazines that polled the region's Super Lawyers.

Mr. Hamilton's relevant legal experience and representative transactions include:

Commercial and Real Estate Finance

• Counsel to a shopping center real estate investment trust (REIT) in connection with numerous financings (aggregating in excess of $3 billion and involving construction and permanent loans, unsecured lines of credit, corporate acquisition financing and multi-tranche asset-backed securitizable credit facilities)
• Counsel to a real estate company in connection with a $250 million mortgage loan involving over 2 million square feet of developed property
• Represented a bankrupt lender in the sale of a distressed loan portfolio valued at $519 million
• Represented a privately-held development company in connection with its $25 million revolving line of credit used to fund corporate level operating expenses and strategic corporate and real estate transactions
• Represented a privately-held real estate investment company in its $220 million acquisition financing (and subsequent refinancing) for a high-profile shopping center, theatre and entertainment complex in Hollywood, California
• Counsel to a bank syndicate in connection with a $600 million multi-state credit facility used to finance the acquisition of a riverboat casino company
• Represented a borrower in a $34.5 million construction loan to finance the acquisition and redevelopment of three historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles (complicated by tax credit structuring involving subordinated secured and unsecured debt, master leases, and numerous guaranties and indemnification agreements)
• Represented a life insurance lender in a $22.5 million construction/bridge loan to finance the acquisition and renovation of an office building in Torrance, California
• Represented a California public pension fund in the $200 million refinancing of its portfolio of fourteen properties in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Texas
• Represented a German lender in an $80.5 million loan to finance the acquisition of a high-profile office building in Thousand Oaks, California

• Counsel to a publicly-traded REIT in connection with its acquisition, disposition, construction and redevelopment of regional shopping centers throughout the United States
• Counsel to a Wall Street private equity firm in connection with its real estate investments throughout the United States
• Counsel to a privately-held urban developer on numerous high-profile projects throughout California (acquisition, dispositions, financing and development)
• Represented the equity partner in the development of a mixed use condominium project in the Old Town historic district of Pasadena, California
• Counsel to the owner of numerous office parks and commercial buildings throughout California in connection with leasing and finance activities
• Represented the developer of luxury private residence clubs, hotels and resorts in California, Florida and The Bahamas
• Represented a closely-held textile company in the consolidation of its distribution facilities throughout California into a single location in Los Angeles
• Represented the seller of an architecturally-significant office building in San Francisco, California
• Represented a developer in the acquisition and conversion (to residential units) of a high-rise office building in San Pedro, California

• Advised the City of Reno, Nevada on utility relocation issues in connection with the construction of a subsurface railroad corridor through the City
• Assisted in the representation of the lead equity investor in the acquisition, privatization and redevelopment of McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California
• Represented a master developer in connection with the redevelopment of a college campus in Pasadena, California
• Represented a mining company in the redevelopment of mining properties in southern Oregon

• Assisted in the representation of a leading automaker with respect to environmental matters in the leasing of a Superfund site in Portland, Oregon
• Advised a multi-national mining company in connection with its proposed redevelopment of a Superfund site in Utah.
• Assisted in the representation of a utility company in connection with its application for and subsequent receipt of an incidental take statement under the Federal Endangered Species Act and related permits and approvals under the Clean Water Act and California environmental protection and water quality control laws
• Routinely advise clients on environmental due diligence and potential liabilities in connection with various real estate, corporate and financing transactions
• Routinely represent clients in obtaining environmental insurance

• Drafted and assisted in the negotiation of a settlement agreement for a high-profile lawsuit relating to the operation of the California State Water Project (the primary distribution system for drinking water in southern California) and public agency compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act
• Drafted agreements for a highly-publicized water conservation program in California’s Central Valley (involved land management, crop rotation and fallowing)
• Advised a major water provider on issues relating to a proposed conjunctive use program (coordinated surface and groundwater management program)

REGISTRATIES

• California

Lidmaatschap

• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• California State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Environmental Law Institute
• Lecturer, Pepperdine University School of Law (2006)
• Faculty, Practising Law Institute, Annual Conference on Real Estate Finance (2004-2006)
• Faculty, Practicing Law Institute, Understanding CMBS Defeasance Transactions (2006)
• Member, Board of Directors, Heritage Housing Partners (a 501(c)(3) organization involved in the preservation, restoraton and re-use (for affordable housing purposes) of historically-important residential structures in Southern California)

Publicaties

Contributing Author, Madison, Dwyer and Bender, the Law of Real Estate Finance (West), Ch. 17 (regarding California Real Estate Finance Law)

Seminars

• "The Borrower's Agenda," Practising Law Institute's 2004 Commercial Real Estate Financing: What Borrowers and Lenders Need to Know Now (January 29-30, 2004)

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