Michael Smooke

Representative Experience

Michael is Vice-Chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Department, and a member of the Firm’s Entertainment, Media & the Arts Department. He is well known for his representation of owners, lenders, developers, and tenants in a variety of real estate projects including shopping centers, industrial parks, and office buildings. He has also represented clients in matters concerning land use and administrative law, purchases, sales and leasing, tax deferred exchanges, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies, environmental investigations, municipal regulation matters including owner participation agreements, disposition and development agreements, zoning changes, and other issues.

Selected representative matters include:

• Portfolio transactions, including sale of over 50 retail locations
• Purchases, sales and leasing, including representation of tenant in 120,000 square  foot office lease
• Tax deferred exchanges, including representation of client in a matter involving defeasance of loan
• Financing, including $420 million combined mezzanine and real estate loan

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D. – Note Editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation
• University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., Magna Cum Laude
• Phi Beta Kappa

Admitted

• California

Honors and Awards

• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ©, Real Estate Law, 1995 – 2022
• Selected for inclusion in Southern California Super Lawyers, 2005 – 2021
• “One of the ten leading real estate lawyers in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Daily Journal
• “One of the most prominent business lawyers in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Business Journal
• Bruce I. Hochman/Maimonides Torch of Justice Award, Los Angeles Jewish Federation, Legal Division

Professional Affiliations and Civic Involvement

• Trustee, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Real Property Section Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Chair, Fine Art Commission, City of Beverly Hills, California
• Board of Governors, Cedars Sinai Medical Center
• Board of Directors, Jewish Community Foundation
• Former Board of Directors, D.A.R.E. America
• Former Board of Directors, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, California