Michelle Bomberger is the CEO and Managing Attorney at Equinox Business Law Group.  As founder, Michelle brings a pragmatic approach to legal counsel. She understands the emotional and practical aspects of owning a business, so she can effectively guide business leaders in evaluating risk and opportunity in their decision making.

Michelle’s background and experience as a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and business lawyer gives her a unique, personal perspective of how an entrepreneur is connected to their business. Her conversations with clients focus on their needs across the organization and she collaborates with them to craft alternatives and solutions that make sense for that particular business in light of its goals. Michelle’s focus is on strategic planning to help businesses review the big picture. This includes ownership and governance, purchase and sale transactions, succession planning, contracts, intellectual property, and employment matters.

Michelle’s desire to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs began at Northwestern University, while she was pursuing dual graduate degrees in law and business. Michelle was a founding member and served as President of the Small Business Opportunity Clinic at Northwestern University School of Law, where she provided both legal and business advice to nonprofit and for-profit small businesses.

Before attending graduate school, Michelle was a business operations and technology consultant with Ernst & Young LLP, where she found her work with her smaller clients most rewarding. Michelle also worked at Cingular Wireless as senior manager of auditing services, where she worked directly with C-level executives to implement process improvements across business functions.

After graduate school, Michelle moved to Seattle to join Venture Law Group, a law firm focused on high tech startups. In 2005, after years in business, Michelle decided it was time to launch her firm. It was modelled loosely on the Small Business Opportunity Clinic at Northwestern with a focus on how business law should be. In addition to launching and growing Equinox Business Law Group, she and her husband owned and managed two restaurants in the Seattle area.

In addition to her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law (cum laude) and M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Michelle also holds a B.S. in Finance and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude).

Michelle was honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of its “40 Under 40” in 2012. In addition, Michelle and Equinox Business Law Group were award the King County Executive’s Woman Small Business of the Year Award in 2013.

Michelle serves on the Board of Directors for Bellevue LifeSpring and Youth Theatre Northwest, serving youth and families in the community. Michelle is also an active member of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound which provides a community for networking and learning for manufacturers. She has served on the Board of Directors, Membership Committee, and Programs Committee.

Born and raised in Panama, Michelle paddled in the annual Ocean-to-Ocean Cayuco Race through the Panama Canal during her sophomore year in high school, winning the women’s category of the race.

When she is not advising small business owners and entrepreneurs, Michelle spends time with her two teenage kid, her family, and her friends. She loves to cook, travel, and read.

“Because the Equinox team has real-world business experience, we can help guide business leaders in their day-to-day and strategic business decisions. We become a part of the extended management team of our clients, learning about what they are doing and helping them do it right. It’s a very fun and rewarding way to work together to build a stronger business.”
–Michelle Bomberger, Founder