About Michael E. Gates
Michael and his wife, Kelly, have been life-long residents of Huntington Beach. Michael attended grade school at Haven View Elementary, junior high school at St. Bonaventure Catholic School, and high school at Marina High School. During his childhood, Michael was educated by Huntington Beach schools and benefitted from local volunteer youth organizations such as AYSO, among others.
Michael and Kelly met in Huntington Beach shortly after high school. They married over twenty-five years ago and have five beautiful children: Michael, Madeleine, John, Gregory and Catherine. This year Michael and Kelly were blessed by the arrival of their first grandchild. Michael and Kelly purchased their home in Huntington Beach shortly after marriage and as proud citizens of this beach town, they purchased investment properties in this City as well. Michael and his wife plan to raise all of their children in Huntington Beach and hope that this City will remain one of the greatest cities in the nation in which to raise a family. Michael’s concern for the quality of legal representation at the City is the reason that he takes his job as City Attorney seriously.
Michael and Kelly have a long, rich history in Huntington Beach. Throughout the years, Michael and his family have been active parishioners at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, St. Mary’s by the Sea Catholic Church, and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. He has also been a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Thomas More Society for many years, while supporting other organizations such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Birth Choice, The Boys & Girls Club, Make a Wish Foundation, Mercy House, Toby’s House, and St. Michael’s Abbey, nearly his entire adult life.
As an active member of the Huntington Beach community, Michael taught for four years (year round) at Golden West College in the Computer Science Department and served for over ten years at Ocean View Little League as a volunteer baseball coach. Since the growth of the family, Michael’s family has also been actively involved in other youth sports in Huntington Beach such as AYSO, S.C.A.T.S., and Friday Night Lights, and many others.
As a small business owner and a concerned citizen of Huntington Beach, Michael is a proud member of the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Orange County Bar Association, the Orange County Republican Party, the Huntington Beach Republican Assembly, and is an associate member of the Huntington Beach Republican Women Federation.
Michael’s record of serving as Huntington Beach’s City Attorney over the past five years is stellar. His performance and record as the City’s top attorney speaks for itself. Prior to his election as City Attorney of Huntington Beach on November 4, 2014, Michael made partner at a successful law firm.
He is a successful litigation/trial attorney and had been defending numerous clients in a wide range of legal areas such as: Federal Civil Rights (Excessive Force), Public Entity Law, Government Tort Liability, General Liability, Truck/Automobile Liability, Premises Liability, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, and Employment Law.
He has represented clients such as the County of Orange, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County District Attorney, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, various large scale trucking companies, and various physicians, surgeons, and other medical professionals and hospitals in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas.
Throughout the years Michael has demonstrated strong management and leadership skills in his experience both as a business owner and attorney, having led teams of people to produce the highest quality work product, highest quality services, and to produce the highest quality results.
Michael earned his Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law. Prior to his legal education, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management, magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University. For his high academic achievement, he was invited to join the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society and has been a member for almost ten years.
Michael’s legal experience began in 2006 when he had the privilege during law school of working as an extern for the United States Department of Justice assisting in the prosecution of fraud cases on behalf of the U.S. Government. He also externed two terms with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in both the Felony and Major Frauds units, and externed for a federal bankruptcy judge for the Central District of California. Michael also served as a Certified Law Clerk representing minors in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he undertook significant law and motion for advancing the due process rights of unrepresented minors in the immigration court system.
Michael earned the “Commitment to Service Award” for completing over 50 hours of pro bono work, volunteered his time performing legal research and writing defending a Title VII, religious discrimination case for the Pacific Justice Institute and worked over 30 hours of directed research for the Anaheim Family Justice Center.
Michael has also owned and operated two successful businesses in computer graphics development and residential real estate for a number of years and has taught Business and Law courses at California State University Long Beach and Golden West College.
“I will continue to fight vigorously for the good people of Huntington beach.”
Michael E. Gates