Michael Hutchings, Associate at our Salt Lake City law office
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Michael Hutchings

Associate
Biography

Michael Hutchings is an experienced land use and real estate attorney. He represents some of the largest real estate developers in Utah, working on public improvement projects, mountain resorts, mixed-use developments, and real estate assets of all sizes. Michael has extensive experience assisting clients in buying and selling real estate, obtaining development entitlements, structuring public incentives such as tax increment financing, and protecting property rights before the Utah Property Rights Ombudsman. Additionally, Michael advises clients in state and federal courts on matters related to land use issues and constitutional property rights claims.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • Utah


Court Admissions

  • United States District Court, District of Utah


Education

  • University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law (J.D.)
    • High Honors
    • Cali Award: Criminal Procedure
    • Utah Law Review Article Editor
    • Dean’s Fellow
    • William H. Leary Scholar
    • Advisor for the Academic Support Program and Legal Methods
  • Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Business (B.B.A., Marketing)
    • First Security Foundation Academic Scholarship recipient
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch,
    • Real Estate Law (2024-2025)
  • Mountain States Super Lawyers®, Rising Stars Edition, Real Estate (2023-2024)

Representative Experience

  • Advised multiple developers in the creation of housing and transit reinvestment zones (HTRZ) that created hundreds of millions of dollars in financing incentives to large-scale mixed-use projects
  • Advised clients in the creation of public infrastructure districts (PIDs), enabling the development of over one billion dollars in public infrastructure
  • Counsel for a developer of renewable energy projects in connection with ground leases, acquisitions, purchase options, easements, and due diligence
  • Negotiated dozens of development agreements with local land use authorities ranging from small subdivisions to large scale master planned developments
  • Represented multiple owners and developers in drafting legislation for the Utah Legislature affecting property rights, the land use appeal process, and public incentives for infrastructure
  • Advised residential and commercial landowners threatened with eminent domain claims from governmental entities and negotiated settlement terms
  • Represented several clients in property tax appeals before county boards of equalization and the Utah State Tax Commission

Previous Professional Experience

  • United States District Court for the District of Utah, Law Clerk to the Honorable Ted Stewart (2019-2020)
  • Snell & Wilmer, Summer Associate and Law Clerk (2018-2019)
  • Utah Supreme Court, Judicial Intern to Chief Justice Matthew Durrant (2017)
  • United States Attorney’s Office, Law Clerk (2017)