Michelle provides advanced, specialised legal services for retirement village and aged care developments and is recognised nationally as a leading practitioner in this field.  She also provides advice in relation to commercial property transactions and general corporate and commercial property advice.

As principal advisor to a number of retirement village operators, both commercial and not for profit, Michelle advises on ownership structures, operational matters affecting retirement villages statutory compliance and property developments.  Resident complaints, disputes and issues arising from community living, are increasingly a part of her practice.

Michelle also advises trustee companies in their role as statutory supervisors of retirement villages.

Michelle advises on sales and acquisitions of retirement villages and on aged care facilities, including the preparation of presale information memoranda, agreements for sale and purchase, the preparation of due diligence reports and undertaking due diligence for large and small transactions.

Directorships of two no for profit companies providing independent living for seniors in a supported environment have provided Michelle with particular insight into the interface between commercial and charitable imperatives.

Michelle is a current member of the NZLS Property Law Section Retirement Villages subcommittee and is often called on to present seminars to the provision and to the industry.  She has recently been co-opted to the Executive Committee of the Retirement Villages Association.

Michelle enjoys sharing her specialist knowledge of the law in the retirement villages and aged care sector with other lawyers and with industry representatives and has spoken at numerous conferences and education workshops on elder law.