Michael W. Prairie - Principal
Michael W. Prairie is a lawyer with an international reputation in education law. He has been representing public and private schools and colleges and related organizations for more than 25 years. His representation includes a wide variety of issues including accreditation, licensure, faculty and staff relations, compliance with state and federal statutes, governance, risk management, and student relations. He also provides services in employment, labor, real property, and commercial law, including general advice, transactions, civil lawsuits, and administrative proceedings.
Hiromi Shimamura
Although born and raised in Japan, Ms. Shimamura has also lived in China and Taiwan. She is fluent in both Japanese and Chinese. Ms. Shimamura has earned degrees in engineering and public relations from institutions in China and Japan. She also holds a masters degree in Business Administration from Huron University, a Japanese university with campuses in the United States. In Taiwan, Ms. Shimamura was a college administrator and student affairs officer. She relocated to San Diego to serve as a college administrator. Ms. Shimamura then served as an executive for an electronics distributor with offices in Japan and the United States.
Nancy Herbst
With more than 25 years in the field of higher education, with the last ten being in the area of administration and operations. Ms. Herbst's skills include change management, strategic planning and implementation, P&L, process improvement, budgeting, cost analysis and reduction, resource planning, financial aid, and regulatory reporting. More recently, Ms. Herbst was a contributing author and editor for the College and School Law: Analysis, Prevention, and Forms book published by the American Bar Association (978-1-61632-008-9).
Jessie McPherson
Mr. McPherson is an aspiring lawyer and businessperson, who joined the firm to develop his knowlege and skills. He holds both a Bachlor's degree in business from the University of California, San Diego, and an Associate degree in communications from Mississippi State University. Mr. McPherson works as a legal assistant and is an intergral part of the Prairie Law Group team. Mr. McPherson is currently studying for the LSAT. In the fall, he plans on applying to study law. During his free time, Mr. McPherson enjoys lobster fishing, and is an accomplished orchestral timpani and wood block player.