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Mike has been with Ryley Carlock & Applewhite since 1986 and heads up the Phoenix office's banking and finance practice, which was recently recognized in U.S. News & World Report's inaugural "Best Law Firms" rankings as a "Tier 1" (top tier) practice in the Phoenix market.  He represents banks and life insurance companies (and occasionally borrowers) in real estate, commercial and agricultural loan transactions, loan workouts, loan enforcement, including trustee's sales, judicial foreclosures and receiverships, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and resales of collateral following foreclosure.  His experience has included many redevelopment projects, master planned communities, residential subdivisions (including homebuilder borrowing base facilities), golf courses, townhouses, high-rise condominiums, hotels, farmland, dairies, Arizona State Land Department leases, shopping centers, office buildings, industrial parks, apartment projects, leasehold loans, conduit loans, mezzanine loans and loan syndications and participations (both as counsel to the lead lender and as counsel to the co-lenders or participants).  He often serves as counsel to Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, MidFirst Bank, Meridian Bank and others in their significant Arizona loan transactions, workouts and enforcement activities, and frequently serves as Arizona counsel in multistate transactions.

Mike is "AV" rated (Preeminent - 5.0/5 Peer Review Rating) by Martindale-Hubbell, and was selected for inclusion in the current editions of Best Lawyers in America® (banking and finance law), Chambers USA:  America's Leading Lawyers for Business (real estate law), Arizona's Top Lawyers (AZ Business Magazine) and Arizona's Finest Lawyers.

Mike has published articles regarding real estate and commercial lending, loan enforcement and income tax issues, and often lectures to attorney and banking groups regarding real estate, lending and loan enforcement topics.  His "Arizona Lender's Guides" links below and on the Arizona Commercial Mortgage Lenders Association website have generated thousands of hits.

Mike graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he served as Note Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review.  He received his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he majored in accounting and economics and spent most fall Saturday afternoons at Husker football games.  He practiced public accounting before entering law school and continues to hold a Certified Public Accountant certificate (inactive registrant).

Mike is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, and has been recognized by the Clubs for his contribution of many hours of legal work, both during and following his service on the Board, in acquiring the Clubs' Vestar Branch site and Thrift Store building.  His family includes two sons and one daughter from Korea.

B.S.B.A., with honors, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (1979)

J.D., University of Notre Dame Law School (1983)

Note Editor, Notre Dame Law Review

Arizona Commercial Mortgage Lenders Association, Member

Risk Management Association, Member

Arizona State Bar Real Property, Business Law and Construction Law Sections

Maricopa County Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section, Member

Nebraska Society of CPAs, Member