Michael E. "Mike" Tiffany

In addition to his duties as managing attorney of our firm, Mike concentrates in the area of commercial transactions, primarily in strategic planning, business solutions, real estate and finance, including HUD insured loans for multi-housing projects. He regularly writes and speaks on these subjects. Prior to entering private practice, Mike served for one year as law clerk to Judge Henry S. Stevens at the Arizona Court of Appeals.

COURT AND BAR ADMISSIONS:
Arizona (1966)
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona (1967)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
State Bar of Arizona
Maricopa County Bar Association

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE:

• Closed over 220 HUD insured loans for multifamily housing projects on behalf of borrowers for an aggregate loan amount in excess of $3 billion dollars.
• Engaged by a national commercial real estate company to resolve differences between legal counsel for the seller of land for an office complex in Phoenix, Arizona and a national real estate developer. Negotiated between counsel, drafted a purchase and sale agreement, and managed the closing of the transaction.
• Represented a landowner in connection with the planning and development of a 2,800 acre master planned community in Buckeye, Arizona, including: an amendment to the municipality’s general plan, the project’s community master plan, and a preliminary plat for an 800 acre first phase; negotiation and preparation of a donation agreement with a school district; negotiation and settlement of an acquisition by a public utility of two powerline easements and a substation site; the relocation of a major roadway through the project; negotiation and completion of land exchange with an adjacent landowner; and, a joint development agreement among four landowners for a regional wastewater reclamation facility.
• Represented a start-up company in connection with the planning and development of a wireless communication tower system in a 235 square mile area in Buckeye, Arizona, including: the purchase or leasing of tower sites, the entitlement and development of the sites, and the subleasing of the sites to national and regional wireless communication companies, such as Verizon and Sprint; developing master purchase documents, ground leases from landowners and subleases to carriers; and, preparing a confidential offering memorandum for the sale of $900,000 of secured notes.
• Prepared a Development Agreement between a landowner and the Town of Buckeye that was adopted by the Town of Buckeye as a form for future development agreements.
• Structured and documented two complex purchase and sale agreements for landowners to sell 13,260 acres of development land to a foreign purchaser after completing the entitlement process.
• Represented the owner in connection with a consolidation loan for the real estate and improvements and another loan for multi-party accounts receivable financing for two facilities with four operators that provide independent, assisted, and skilled nursing care on twelve and four acre campuses more than two miles apart.
• Introduced a client to a large pension plan, and structured and documented a loan participation agreement between the client and pension plan for a commercial lending program.
• Represented the owners of two healthcare facilities in connection with a single $37,400,000 loan for both projects that were roughly two miles apart with a master lease, four subleases, five operators, and accounts receivable financing for each project.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

• The Thunderbirds - Past Lifebird of the Year
• The Sheriff's Mounted Posse of Maricopa County - Past President and Chairman of Board of Governors
• Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, Inc. - Past President and Chairman of Board of Directors
• Men's Art Council - Past Member of Board of Directors

HONORS, APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

• Chambers USA
• Best Lawyers in America
• Southwest Super Lawyers
• Arizona's Finest Lawyers
• Top Ten Industry Leaders for the 2011-2012 People to Know in Commercial Real Estate