Michelle R. Jester

Michelle R. Jester is an attorney at the Minneapolis, Minnesota, law office of Messerli | Kramer. Serving clients in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, she focuses her practice on banking and finance matters, with a special focus on tax credit and specialty financing. The transactions she works on include: 

• Banking operations
• Commercial financing
• Creditors’ remedies
• Tax credit financing
• Warehouse and guidance lines
• Commercial real estate
• Acquisition and sales
• Commercial leasing

An accomplished attorney, Ms. Jester’s 28-year-long career has seen significant highs and a steadfast commitment to helping her clients with their legal matters, whether that involves drafting complex commercial loan documents with a focus on low income housing tax credit and federal and state historic tax credits. 

Ms. Jester is board-certified as a specialist in real property law by the Real Property Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. She has worked on many high-profile cases and has gained invaluable experience with complex financing transactions, affordable housing finance, guidance lines for home builders and more.

Graduating magna cum laude from St. Cloud State University, Ms. Jester received her Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics. She obtained her Juris Doctor from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 1994 and was licensed to practice in Minnesota the same year. She is also admitted to practice in Wisconsin and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. 

Ms. Jester has been awarded many accolades throughout her career, including being named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer. She was also included in the list of Notable Women in Banking & Finance by Twin Cities Business magazine in 2022 and was featured in the 2020 Women’s Special Issue of the Attorney at Law Magazine.

Ms. Jester has memberships in the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Hennepin County Bar Association, the Minnesota Bankers Association and the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. An avid educator, Ms. Jester has many articles published in many renowned journals and magazines, including MBA News, ICBM News and Upsize Magazine.