Michael is known for his commercial cut through in  complex matters and delivers strategic and  commercially relevant advice to  his clients. He is the go-to adviser on difficult and sensitive assignments.

Biography

Michael acts for banks and other financial institutions and insolvency practitioners and the Australian Taxation Office on complex high end insolvency matters. 

Michael advises on high-end insolvency and restructuring work including formal administrations, Deeds of Company Arrangement, informal workouts, securities enforcement and associated dispute resolution. His practice spans both transactional and contentious restructuring mandates, with particular expertise in navigating formal administration processes under significant time pressure and competing stakeholder claims.

Michael’s matters include major Australian insolvency administrations with creditor pools in the hundreds of millions. He has acted for the Administrators and Liquidators of Penrice Soda Holdings, an ASX-listed entity with approximately A$200 million in creditors. He led the Nuheara administration for KPMG, navigating unprecedented legal issues through to a successful Full Federal Court decision resisted to the High Court by a well-resourced multinational opponent. Earlier work includes the defence of former Gunns Limited directors in proceedings with a face value of approximately A$280 million, and acting for Adelaide Airport in relation to the Virgin Australia Group and the Rex Group administration.

Michael has a reputation as the go-to partner on the most difficult restructuring and insolvency assignments. He is commercially astute and numerate. He is able  to cut through undue complexity and derive a result which meets a client's commercial objectives. He is able to derive commercial solutions and negotiate constructively with counterparties to a transaction even when faced with intractable opponents. He is proactive and drives his matters to the promptest outcome available.

Credentials

Academic qualifications:

Michaels experience

KPMG — Nuheara Limited administration

Led the engagement acting for KPMG as administrators of Nuheara Limited, an ASX-listed hearable technology company, through its administration and return to solvency via an investor syndicate. Managed negotiations with the investor syndicate and secured creditor Realtek Semiconductor Corporation, prepared transaction documents for the business sale, and represented KPMG in multiple Federal Court applications. In November 2025, successfully represented KPMG in the Full Court of the Federal Court. The opposing party subsequently sought special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia. Matter value: approximately A$6 million in administration funds.

Australian Taxation Office

He acts in a broad range of matters for this entity. Two of the more prominent have been in relation to the Administration of the Grocon Group of Companies and also the Melbourne Rebels Rugby Union club and associated litigation.

Penrice Soda Holdings Group

Acted for the Administrators and then Liquidators of the Penrice Soda Holdings Group, an ASX-listed entity with approximately A$200 million in creditors. A complex administration and reconstruction involving the group trading on for several months pending asset sales.

Adelaide Airport Limited

Represented Adelaide Airport Limited in relation to the administration of the Virgin Australia Group and associated liability issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He similarly represented Adelaide Airport Limited in relation to its exposure to Rex Airlines Limited (Administrators Appointed). 

Both matters involved complex issues relating  to the enforcement of contractual liens including as against aircraft and other items of property the subject of international lease agreements and which were the subject of registrations under the Capetown Convention.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited

Represented the Bank in litigation surrounding the closure of a Community Bank engaged in irregular dealings with cash which led to the Bank's commercial objectives being achieved in their entirety.

NACAP/Consolidated Power Projects

Acted for NACAP/Consolidated Power Projects in two substantial disputes with joint ventures and head contractors concerning wind farm projects, with total client exposure of A$85 million including cross-border insolvency issues relating to a German parent entity. Full recovery achieved for the client.

Gunns Limited — former directors

Acted for former directors of Gunns Limited in defence of proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Federal Court. The claim against former auditors had a face value of approximately A$280 million. The direct claim by liquidators against directors was approximately A$155 million.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank — Environinvest

Acted for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in proceedings against former auditors in relation to Environinvest Limited. The claim of approximately A$60 million was settled for an amount equivalent to 80% of the auditor’s insurance cover.

Awards, recognition and ranking