Michelle L. Landry

Michelle Landry guides real estate developers, commercial property owners, corporations and banks through complex disputes with strategic precision and practical judgment.

Clients value her for cutting through complexities and delivering business-focused solutions that lead to commercially sound, favorable outcomes—whether at the negotiating table or in the courtroom.

With nearly 30 years of experience in high-stakes litigation and trials, Michelle has represented clients across industries in federal and state courts, arbitrations and settlement negotiations. She has successfully resolved critical disputes involving commercial leases; partnership, joint venture and business breakdowns; failed purchase, sale and joint development deals; contested ownership and control disputes; fiduciary issues; and consumer and employment-related class actions.

Michelle keenly identifies the smartest and most efficient path to resolution, whether that means negotiating a strategic early exit, untangling contentious conflicts or taking a case to trial. Clients rely on her to minimize risk, keep the focus on business goals and deliver results when it counts.

Michelle brings a unique edge as former in-house counsel to a company with diverse business holdings in real estate, publishing, movie production and wineries. She understands her clients’ pressure points, grasps the realities of deal-making and knows where problems tend to arise. Her legal strategies align with business imperatives, grounded in commercial logic.

Experience

• Preserved ownership of an assisted-living facility in a five-year dispute with the City of San Francisco. Brought in just six months before trial, Michelle quickly mastered the factual and legal terrain. She defeated the City’s contract claims, won a significant attorney’s fee award and protected her client from a forced sale that would have shut down the business.
• Protected a commercial property owner’s revenue stream in a case brought by the City of West Sacramento over a developer agreement. Michelle resolved the dispute early with a favorable settlement that safeguarded her client’s financial interests and avoided a costly trial.
• Secured a seven-figure jury verdict and attorney’s fees award in a San Francisco breach of a commercial lease case. Representing the owner of 445 Bust Street, Michelle faced aggressive counterclaims and a dense factual record. She delivered a clear, effective trial strategy that restored the client’s lost rent and preserved its standing in a competitive leasing market.
• Won a seven-figure summary judgment and attorneys’ fee award in a dispute with a loan guarantor over a multimillion-dollar commercial property transaction in downtown San Francisco. The buyer defaulted and the first lender foreclosed. The guarantor attempted to walk away and raised contract and fraud defenses. Michelle efficiently maneuvered the case to summary judgment, avoiding the delay and cost of trial. The result secured the right to full payment and sent a clear message about the enforceability of deal terms.
• Won summary judgment on behalf of a publicly traded company in a lawsuit involving employment-related claims, including constructive discharge and retaliation. Through targeted discovery and early motion practice, Michelle positioned the case for summary judgment, obtaining an award of damages on behalf of the employer and achieving dismissal of all significant counterclaims brought by the employee.
• Won summary adjudication in Orange County lending dispute, defeating significant tort claims against lender, including for elder abuse.
• Defended a national bank in parallel federal and state court actions brought by a subordinate lender attempting to walk away from a subordination agreement and guaranty. Michelle obtained full dismissal with prejudice in federal court and secured another dismissal in parallel Minnesota state litigation, closing the door on further litigation.
• Represented a technology company in an employment class action concerning the enforceability of employment agreements. The client’s priority was to avoid certification and resolve the matter efficiently. Michelle negotiated a favorable settlement of all class and PAGA claims after positioning the case for early resolution, enabling the client to avoid reputational harm and litigation costs.