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Chris Micheli
Government Relations
About Chris Micheli
Chris Micheli is a founding partner of the governmental relations and advocacy firm of Snodgrass & Micheli located in Sacramento, California. Prior to forming the firm, he was a founding partner at Aprea & Micheli, Inc., as well as California Strategies, a statewide public affairs firm.
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, the legislative process, 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.
Over the last twenty years, he has published over one thousand articles and editorials in professional journals, newspapers and trade magazines, whose diverse subjects range from tax incentives to transportation funding. He wrote a bi-monthly column on civil justice reform for five years for The Daily Recorder, Sacramento's daily legal newspaper, authoring over 100 columns. He has served on the editorial advisory boards for CCH's State Income Tax Alert, a nationwide publication, as well as State Income Tax Monitor, another national newsletter, and Sacramento Lawyer, a monthly legal journal.
In addition, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of CCH’s Property Tax Alert Practitioners' Perspectives, and has published practitioner comments in the CCH 4-volume treatise California State Tax Reporter. He serves as a Contributing Editor to the CEB California Business Law Reporter in the area of California taxation, and has been a California Correspondent for State Tax Notes, the premier national weekly state tax journal.
Micheli has been an attorney of record in several key cases, having argued before the Supreme Court of California (just two years out of law school), as well as the Court of Appeal several times. He has filed more than fifteen amicus curiae briefs in California courts. He is admitted to practice law before all of the state and federal courts in California.
Additionally, Micheli has been qualified as an expert witness on California's knife laws in superior court, and has appeared as an expert witness before the State Board of Equalization in several key tax cases. His writings and work have been cited in amicus curiae legal briefs, books, and law review articles, as well as by the Congressional Research Service.
He has published eight law review articles and is the co-editor and co-author of the book “A Practitioner’s Guide to Lobbying and Advocacy in California” and “Guide to Executive Branch Agency Rulemaking,” as well as the author of “Understanding the California Legislative Process,” “Introduction to California State Government,” “An Introduction to Drafting Legislation in California," "Handbook on the Legislative Process in California," and "Handbook on Legislative Drafting in California."
His most recent books include "A Practical Guide to California State Government: FAQs and Glossary of Terms," "Handbook on California Legislative Data," "Overview of the California Constitution, Statutes, and Regulations,” "A Practical Guide to the California Legislative Process," "A Practical Guide to the California Budget Process," "A Practical Guide to California Legislative Drafting and Statutory Interpretation," "A Practical Guide to Lobbying in California," "A Practical Guide to California's Political and Election Laws," and "A Practical Guide to the California Rulemaking Process."
Micheli is also the author of five law school casebooks: "Cases and Materials on Direct Democracy in California,” “The California Legislature and Its Legislative Process – Cases and Materials,” “Cases and Materials on the California Regulatory Process,” “Cases and Materials on California’s Executive Branch of Government," and "Cases and Materials on California's Political and Elections Laws."
He is a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Political Science – Public Service and the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law with a J.D. degree. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at McGeorge where he teaches the course Lawmaking in California as well as several online courses, and as a Lecturer in Law at the University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law where he teaches the course Legislative Drafting.
Micheli also provides regular California legislative updates and insights on social media, including X/Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, as well as his own blog and YouTube channel. He often gives commentary for print and television outlets on Capitol issues and developments. Micheli has provided personalized lobbying seminars for clients, as well as Continuing Education of the Bar programs for lawyers. He resides in Sacramento, California with his wife, Liza, two daughters, Morgan and Francesca, and son, Vincenzo. He enjoys reading, writing, soccer, martial arts, and travel.