Michelle Gail

Michelle Gail's transactional practice focuses on real estate and corporate law. Her experience includes documenting, negotiating and closing real estate, hotel and business transactions across the United States. Michelle has extensive experience with purchase and sale agreements, loan documentation, commercial leases, development and management agreements, construction contracts, architects agreements, easements and title insurance. She has shared this experience as a repeat instructor for a continuing legal education seminar entitled Keys to Success in Real Estate Transactions.

Michelle has served as outside counsel for both public and privately-held corporations, assisting with general corporate counseling, as well as contract drafting and negotiation on a variety of matters including marketing and sales, employment and intellectual property. Her corporate experience at McNaul Ebel and, previously, as an associate at Venture Law Group includes entity formation, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and '34 Act securities compliance.

In addition to her legal practice, Michelle co-founded Girls Go Outside, a non-profit organization that takes girls out into nature to help them find their voice and courage. The organization offers both after-school curricula and multiple-day adventure programs (backpacking, river rafting, horseback riding and rock climbing) that build girls' confidence and encourage them to identify their values and strengths. Michelle has advised Girls Go Outside since its inception in 2004. She has assisted with its corporate governance, 501(c)(3) paperwork, fundraising and long-term sustainability planning, and she enjoys participating as an instructor on the summer adventure programs.

Michelle attended Stanford University, earning an A.B. in 1994 in political science with honors. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1998, cum laude, and simultaneously received a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown School of Foreign Service, earning an International Business Honors Certificate. In addition, she has studied abroad in Italy, England (London School of Economics and Oxford), and Israel. After graduating from Georgetown, Michelle clerked for The Honorable Robert R. Beezer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In her spare time she enjoys having adventures of her own, including riding her bike from Seattle to San Francisco, trekking in Patagonia, and climbing Mt. Rainier.