Michael G. Smooke is Of Counsel and Vice-Chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Department, as well as a member of the Firm’s Entertainment, Media & the Arts Department. For over 40 years, his practice focuses on real estate development, leasing and financing of commercial properties including shopping centers, industrial parks, and office buildings.
Representative Experience
Michael is well known for his representation of owners, lenders, developers and tenants in a variety of 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
Industries
- Real Estate
- Entertainment, Media & The Arts
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
Professional Affiliations
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Real Property Section, Executive Committee
Civic Involvement
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Trustee
- Fine Art Commission, Beverly Hills, California, Chair
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors
- Jewish Community Foundation, Board of Directors
- D.A.R.E. America, former Board of Directors
- Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, California, former Board of Directors
Honors and Awards
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ©, Real Estate Law, 1995 – 2019
- Selected for inclusion in Southern California Super Lawyers, 2005 – 2019
- “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