Education

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
University of California, Davis

Admitted

State Bar of California, 1992

practice areas

Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
Tax Policy and Compliance
Legislative and Regulatory Law
Lobbying

MembershipS

State Bar of California, 

Chris Micheli is Of Counsel to Finney Arnold LLP.  He has substantial legislative and regulatory experience in the areas of state and local taxation, transportation, labor and employment, forestry, health care, civil liability, and insurance.  He has represented a number of major clients including non-profits (e.g., Junior Blind of America), public agencies (e.g., Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority), national trade associations (e.g., Computing Technology Industry Association - CompTIA), statewide trade associations (e.g., California Grocers Association), and major corporations (e.g., Mattel, Lockheed Martin, Chevron/Texaco, Mercury Insurance).

As a legislative advocate, Micheli regularly testifies before policy and fiscal committees of the California Legislature, as well as a number of administrative agencies, departments, boards, and commissions.  He regularly drafts legislative and regulatory language and is considered a leading authority on state tax law developments and California's knife laws.  The Wall Street Journal (July 1998) called him "one of the top three business tax lobbyists in the state."  The Los Angeles Times (May 2005) described him as an "elite lobbyist," and Capitol Weekly (August 2006) described him as a "prominent lobbyist."

Micheli became a contract lobbyist after serving as General Counsel to the California Manufacturers Association, an 800-member trade group.  In addition to advising CMA and its Board of Directors on legal matters, he was a registered lobbyist representing CMA in the areas of taxation and civil liability reform.  While at CMA, he was the chief lobbyist for SB 671, which was called "the most significant tax relief since Prop. 13.” He often served as a principal spokesperson for the California business community on important matters of tax policy.