Accounting Firm Partner to Join Top Four Irvine Co. Executives : Real estate: Michael D. McKee, who will leave Latham & Watkins, will become executive vice president, chief legal officer.

IRVINE —  Michael D. McKee, managing partner of the Orange County office of Latham & Watkins, has been elected executive vice president and chief legal officer of the Irvine Co., making him one of the top five executives at Orange County’s largest landowner.

As one of only four executive vice presidents at the Irvine Co., McKee, 48, will report directly to Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren.

“As our company continues to adjust to the dramatic changes in the real estate industry, I believe we will benefit greatly from Mike’s wise counsel based on his substantial experience with publicly traded companies,” Bren said in a statement.

McKee expects to resign his Latham post by mid-April. Latham, a large accounting firm, has not yet selected a replacement, he said.

A lawyer with a strong background in public stock offerings, McKee has been involved in real estate investment trusts since 1979. He worked on the initial public offering by Irvine Apartment Communities last year, which raised nearly $200 million, and has helped prepare stock offerings for such companies as Health Care Property Investors in Los Angeles, Sunrise Medical Inc. in Torrance, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. in Cypress and Salick Health Care Inc. in Los Angeles.

McKee’s strong background in the public markets is another signal that the Irvine Co. continues to look in that direction for its growth capital.

“I think there is no secret there is a repositioning in the real estate industry toward public markets and the Irvine Co. is on record that they are exploring a lot of those avenues,” McKee said. “I hope to help them continue looking at ways to access capital.”

The Irvine Co.’s general counsel, Peter Zeughauser, was promoted to senior vice president and retains the title and responsibilities of general counsel. He will report to McKee.