Mike’s real estate experience includes structuring, negotiating and documenting real estate purchase and sale agreements, negotiating joint venture and partnership agreements, assignments, development and subdivision agreements, due diligence and feasibility, resolving title exceptions, addressing environmental and regulatory issues, NDAs and confidentiality agreements, reciprocal use, easement and operation agreements, letters of intent, asset purchase agreements and leases.
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Mike’s real estate transactional and land use practice grew out of his longstanding involvement in the building and commercial real estate industries. Mike’s clients have included land developers, regional and national hospitality and hotel companies, homebuilders, general contractors, and property owners.
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Mike’s land use practice includes work with clients in their pursuit of subdivision and parcel map approvals, land use entitlements and other legal approvals from local governments in Northern California. This work can begin when a client conceives of a project, carries along with the processing of applications, environmental impact and CEQA review, subdivision maps and other entitlements and permits, and on to the construction and sale of an improved project. Mike works with his client’s development team, consultants and engineers and then with city/county staff and elected leaders in an effort to bring projects together. Mike’s experience has taught him that the achievement of his clients’ land use objectives requires an understanding and appreciation of the local community’s challenges and goals, and a strong and persistent effort to find a true “win, win” outcome, working together with the stakeholders.
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In addition to his client service, Mike has served the industry on Bay Area regional and California statewide boards and committees. Mike has also served in appointed roles in local government, including city and county government task forces and commissions, and has experience representing public entities including cities and special districts.
University of California, Berkeley – School of Law
JD, Law School, 1982
Drawing on over 40 years of law firm experience, Mike’s practice focuses on California business and real estate transactions and corporate and other legal entity formation and joint venture structuring. In addition, Mike has deep experience in all forms of dispute resolution. Mike takes a collaborative approach, viewing his role as a problem solver, strategic thinker and strong advocate for his clients and their interests.
Mike Brown
Real Estate and Corporate:
Leadership; Recognition; Community and Industry Service
Mike is an elected member and an appointed Advisor for the Restatement of Property Law project of the American Law Institute (ALI).
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In addition, Mike has been recognized by his peers as a “Northern California Super Lawyer” in real estate for each of the twenty-one years (2004 through 2024) in which this professional distinction has been bestowed.
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Mike has long been active in the Building Industry. Having served as an officer and past chairperson, Mike is an emeritus Member of the Board of Trustees of the California Homebuilding Foundation. Mike served on the Government Affairs and Legal Action Committees of the California Building Industry Association and on the Regional Board of Directors of the Building Industry of Northern California (now the BIA of the Bay Area.)
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Mike served on the City of Concord’s Redevelopment Advisory Commission and on Redwood City’s Inner Harbor Visioning Task Force. Mike long served as Vice-Chair and officer of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance. Within the EDA, Mike worked with elected and administrative leaders of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and 33 East Bay cities.
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Mike’s community involvement has included leadership roles in the Bay Area Leadership Foundation, the Contra Costa County Bar Association and, the Diablo Valley College Foundation, and he has served as legal counsel for a number of nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area and the Sacramento Region.
(925) 943-5000 Work
Corporate and Entity Work:
Mike’s practice includes entity formation and advising business clients and owners in the ongoing operations of their legal entities, including LLCs, closely-held corporations and limited partnerships. The practice includes entity formation, including consideration of the type of entity and tax considerations, in collaboration with his client’s tax advisors and accountants, and the drafting and amendment of operating agreements, by laws, articles of incorporation and organization, partnership and joint venture agreements.
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Mike assists business clients in qualifying to do business in California and elsewhere in the United States.
Experience and Education
Prior to co-founding Brown, Gee & Wenger LLP, Mike was a shareholder of Morgan Miller Blair in Walnut Creek (1995-2011), serving at times as the firm’s Managing Shareholder and as Chair of its Real Estate Department.
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Mike was a partner at Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon (1986-1994), managing the firm’s Walnut Creek office.
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Mike began his law practice at Howrey & Simon in Washington D.C. (1982-85), and worked for Brown & Finney in San Francisco (1985-86).
Undergraduate:
University of California, San Diego
B.A., Political Science, 1979
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Law School:
University of California, Berkeley – School of Law
JD, Law School, 1982