Public finance lawyer Messina rejoins Miles & Stockbridge

Melissa Messina, a veteran public finance lawyer, has rejoined Miles & Stockbridge as a principal in its Baltimore, Maryland, office. She will focus on senior living and life-plan communities.

Messina previously worked as a financial advisor and investment banker at HJ Sims, counseling nonprofit life plan communities, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. She advised management and boards of senior communities on capital and strategic planning matters.

“We are very happy to have Melissa return to Miles & Stockbridge,” said Andrew Skopp, co-leader of the firm’s Real Estate and Transactional Finance Practice Group.

“Melissa brings new experience in sophisticated matters that will benefit our clients in senior living, health care, real estate, tax increment finance, public finance and commercial finance,” he said in a statement.

Messina also advises nonprofits, health care organizations and education institutions on real estate and economic development matters.

In public finance, she is involved in land-based infrastructure transactions, including tax increment financing, public-private partnerships, transit-oriented development and other tax-exempt bond financings.

Messina began as a summer associate at Miles & Stockbridge in 2004 and spent over 12 years at the firm before leaving for HJ Sims in 2018. She was in private practice before rejoining Miles & Stockbridge.

“Her tenure as a financial advisor and investment banker at HJ Sims brings a unique perspective that we believe our clients will appreciate and value,” said John Stalfort, head of the firm’s public finance team.

Miles & Stockbridge is an AmLaw 200 law firm with about 200 lawyers and seven offices in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

“I learned how to be a lawyer at Miles & Stockbridge and I’m excited to return and continue to serve,” Messina said. “I’ve been impressed with the growth the firm has experienced while I was away, including on the health care team.”