Mr. Brelje is an experienced and respected civil litigation trial attorney who specializes in complex business, real estate and construction business litigation.

Attorney G. Michael Brelje

G. Michael Brelje

Mr. Brelje‘s practice includes all forms of civil procedure, discovery and motion practice, as well as trial and appellate appearances.

Before joining Cappello & Noël in 2022, Mr. Brelje was a senior attorney at both Rogers, Sheffield & Campbell, LLP and Grokenberger & Smith, where he represented clients involved in real estate transactions and disputes, construction, landlord/tenant and trust administration and estate-related issues.

Mr. Brelje has worked on and tried numerous complex civil and appellate cases, including arguing these cases in the California Court of Appeal.

Mr. Brelje is an active member of the Santa Barbara legal community. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association for several years and is a current member, and was the former president of the Santa Barbara Barristers. As a frequent contributor to the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association, he has lectured on and authored numerous articles related to real property law, civil litigation, landlord/tenant relations and other legal issues.

Mr. Brelje was selected as a top-rated attorney, in the area of Real Estate Law, to the Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list for Southern California during the years 2020-2021.

Education:

  • University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A. with honors, Communication and Sport Management, 2003
  • Santa Barbara College of Law, J.D., 2008

Member:

  • Santa Barbara Barristers
  • Santa Barbara County Bar Association
  • State Bar of California

Admitted:

  • State Bar of California, 2010
  • U.S. District Courts for the Central (2010) and Eastern (2018) Districts of California
  • Supreme Court of the United States, 2018

Published Decision:

  • Zissler v. Saville (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 630

Representative Trial Work:

  • Garl, dba A-1 Tree Service v. Justin Vineyards & Winery, LLC (2012)

Articles:

  • Santa Barbara Lawyer | Medical Marijuana: Questions and Answers regarding Reasonable Accommodation Requests by Residential Tenants | 2017
  • Santa Barbara Lawyer | Pre-Judgment Writ of Attachment: A Powerful and Unique Provisional Remedy, If Used Correctly | 2016
  • Santa Barbara Rental Property Association: Rental Property News | Ask an Expert | 2016
  • Santa Barbara Rental Property Association: Rental Property News | City of Santa Barbara Tenant Displacement Assistance Ordinance | 2016
  • Santa Barbara Rental Property Association: Rental Property News | Landlord’s Responsibility to Provide Reasonable Accommodations for Companion Animals | 2013
  • Santa Barbara Rental Property Association: Rental Property News | What Are Fixtures and Does the Landlord or Tenant Own them at the End of a Tenancy? | 2012