Michelle Da Rosa is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Portland office and a member of the Real Estate practice group. Ms. Da Rosa’s practice involves both traditional real estate transactions and development and renewable energy projects. She works with a variety of commercial and residential real estate developers, as well as clients in the hotel, wind, solar, and natural gas industries. Her real estate practice is broad and includes affordable housing development, grants, and financing, commercial leasing (retail, industrial, aircraft hangars, office, and cell towers), and analyzing and curing complex title issues. Ms. Da Rosa helps her clients secure the varied property rights they need for their project development. Performing due diligence, negotiating, and crafting real property agreements makes up a large part of her practice.

Ms. Da Rosa is one of Oregon’s leading attorneys in commercial and residential condominium law and master planned residential and commercial developments, with expertise in timeshares, common interest communities, association law, community land trust and affordable housing development.

She has helped her clients finance, acquire and sell wind, solar and geothermal projects, emphasizing title due diligence, and lease and easement agreements throughout the country. She also has experience in preparing gas and oil, and natural gas storage title opinions.

Prior to law school, she taught lower and middle school in the Waldorf School movement. Ms. Da Rosa was a mentor, teacher trainer, and parenting coach for many fruitful years. Writing and directing community theater kept her busy, too.

Awards and Honors

  • US News Best Lawyers nomination, 2019-2025
  • US News Best Firms nomination, 2022-2025
  • Oregon Super Lawyers® 2023-2025; Rising Star, 2011-2017

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental sections, Oregon State Bar
    • Real Estate Land Use Executive Committee, Member 2019-present, Treasurer 2024, Secretary 2025
  • Member, Real Estate section, Washington State Bar
  • Member, American Bar Association, Real Estate and Affordable Housing sections
  • Condominium Legislative Working Group, 2011-present
  • Acquisition, title, and construction financing for a large multi-family project in Vancouver, Washington and after construction, sale to a REIT for just over $78,000,000.
  • Acted as local borrower’s counsel in preparing loan opinion for a $160,000,000 line of credit, and for restructuring a distressed FHA-backed loan package for over $30,000,000 for a senior apartment and assisted living condominium project.
  • Represented wind energy developer in the sale of a $96,000,000 project in connection with complex title insurance issues and curative actions, landowner estoppels, subordinations and leases.
  • Represented multiple developers in the development of private airports and hangar condominiums, and the establishment, sale, and 1031 exchange of condominium hangars, including build-to-suit deals, ground and hangar leases, easements, and unit sales.
  • Acts as general counsel to some of the largest master homeowners and resort associations in Oregon.
  • Represents affordable housing developers in creating sustainable affordability programs for homeownership and establishing condominiums and land trust models to facilitate government project funding and tax credit programs.
  • Represents timber and other private land owners in cell-tower leasing.

Ms. Da Rosa earned her J.D., magna cum laude from Willamette University College of Law. She earned her B.A. in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, California.

  • Clackamas County Housing Advisory Board, 2019-2023
  • Board of Directors, Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro/East 2012 to 2021, Executive Committee and Secretary, 2020-2023, Committee Member HopeBuilder Fundraising Cabinet, 2011-2013
  • Board of Directors, Oregon Lakes Association, 2008-2014
  • Secretary/co-founder, Board of Directors, Hands in Peace, international peacebuilding through sport and art, 2005-2010
  • Street Law Executive Director at Willamette University College of Law, 2006-2007

Additional Specialties

Affordable Housing