Michelle Burke

Michelle provides advanced, specialised legal services for retirement village and aged care developments and is recognised nationally as a leading practitioner in this field.

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 an important part of her practice.

Past directorships of two not 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.

She is often called on to organise and present seminars to the profession and to the sector. She is passionate about sharing her specialist knowledge of the law in the retirement villages and aged care with other lawyers and sector representatives and has spoken at numerous conferences and education workshops on elder law.

Michelle has authored a chapter on retirement villages and aged care law in a book on Elder Law in New Zealand.

Key Transactions

Advised:

• Trustee companies in their role as statutory supervisors of retirement villages.
• 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.

Credentials

Bachelor of Laws (LLB), (Hons), University of Auckland

Admission to the Bar

New Zealand, 1986

Directorships and Trusteeships

Retirement Villages Association of New Zealand, Board Member