Michelle Jester focuses her practice on banking and finance with an emphasis in transactions involving real estate. In addition to managing her practice, Michelle serves as the Chair of the Banking & Finance group. Her broad experience and depth allows her to handle both the front-end and back-end of lending transactions; everything from loan originations to work outs and foreclosures.
Michelle’s work includes drafting documentation and conducting due diligence for loans for her lender clients secured by real estate, business assets and all forms of collateral in equity bridge lending related to affordable housing; enforcing loan documentation; advising receivers on rights and obligations; negotiating and drafting documentation relating to workouts distressed loans; and representing buyers or sellers by negotiating real estate purchase agreements. She has extensive experience in the affordable housing finance area, guidance and warehouse lines for horizontal and vertical residential construction financing and a myriad of complex financing transactions. Michelle’s clients include commercial banks, non-profit lenders, creditors, commercial landlords, and developers.
Beyond the particulars of any agreement or dispute, Michelle provides her clients with experience-based legal advice that is tied to real-world business practicalities. Michelle provides aggressive representation of her clients’ interests, with creative solutions to disputes and successful outcomes, eliminating unnecessary time, effort, and anxiety on behalf of her clients.
Michelle is a two-time winner of the Top Women in Finance Award and is certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Real Property Specialist.