Michael R. Ray Joins Real Estate Law Firm Pircher, Nichols & Meeks as Partner

LOS ANGELES – Aug. 9, 2012 – Michael R. Ray has joined the national real estate law firm Pircher, Nichols & Meeks as a partner in the firm’s corporate and real estate private equity practice areas. Based in the Los Angeles office, Michael was previously a corporate partner with Husch Blackwell LLP.

Ray’s practice focuses on advising clients in connection with domestic and cross-border commercial transactions and business ventures, public and private offerings of securities, and the representation of real estate private equity investment fund sponsors with respect to the organization and formation of their funds and the execution of real estate joint venture, acquisition and disposition transactions.

The addition of Ray bolsters Pircher’s growing corporate and real estate private equity practice areas and enhances the firm’s ability to advise clients seeking U.S. and foreign real estate investment opportunities and raising capital from U.S. and foreign investors. At Pircher, Ray will work closely with Steve Shapiro, a Chicago-based partner in the firm’s corporate and real estate private equity practice areas, and with Michael Scheinberg and Bill Jackson, Los Angeles-based partners in the firm’s real estate and real estate private equity practice areas.

“I am thrilled to join Pircher and work with such dedicated and knowledgable colleagues,” said Ray. “The firm has a long and distinguished history of representing the industry’s leading investment funds. I believe we are well-positioned to build on that foundation and expand our footprint as we continue to work with these clients and the next generation of fund managers.”

Prior to joining Pircher, Nichols & Meeks, Michael was the office managing partner of Husch Blackwell’s London office, where he was responsible for the London office’s management, administration and business development activities. He received his J.D. in 2000 from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.