Kester K. So

Practice Areas

A member of the Firm resident in the Lansing office, Kester So focuses his practice on public finance and utility law. Kester serves as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel on a variety of bond issues involving State of Michigan level issuers, which financed among other things, State offices and university and community college facilities, city, county, village, and township financings, including local building authorities, general obligation, tax increment, and utility revenue bonds, as well as health care financings. He has been involved in state trunk line bonds, the renovation of the State Capitol, and the construction of Heritage Hall, county jails and justice centers, airports, new hospitals and medical centers, power plants located throughout the State and in Ohio and tobacco securitizations. Kester also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General to the State, representing the State in connection with the Detroit bankruptcy and served as bond counsel to the Michigan Finance Authority for bonds related to or issued as a result of the bankruptcy.

Professional Memberships

Elected to the Board of Directors of the American College of Bond Counsel; Chair of the Member Selection Committee, American College of Bond Counsel, July 2023; Fellow, American College of Bond Counsel; State Bar of Michigan, Member (Government Law, Real Property Law, and Health Care Law Sections; Former Chairperson (twice) of the Public Corporation Law Section Council, now known as Government Law Section); Ingham County Bar Association, Member; Member of the Hall of Justice Committee of the State Bar, by appointment of the State Bar President; National Association of Bond Lawyers, Member; Former editor and current contributor to Briefly; Case law summary contributor to Michigan Municipal League publication

Education

Awards