Michael is a tenacious litigator. He has conducted numerous court actions as counsel at all levels, including the High Court.  In more recent years his role has been in developing strategy in the litigious processes to drive efficient, commercially relevant outcomes for clients.

Biography

Michael acts for major companies and financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, creditors and business owners in South Australia, nationally and internationally.

Michael advises on the full range of money and asset recovery work (offence and defence).  Restructuring and insolvency work: corporate and personal insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, receiverships, voluntary administrations, deeds of company arrangement and securities enforcement. He also acts in insolvency litigation, including pursuing and defending claims by liquidators and trustees, unfair preference claims, directors’ duties disputes, and asset tracing and recovery across Australian and international jurisdictions. His commercial disputes practice covers property and lease disputes, fraud, and recovery of assets from trade and finance transactions. He also specialises in property lease enforcement and more generally landlord and tenant disputes.

Michael has conducted proceedings at all court levels including the High Court. He has advised US, European and Asian insolvency administrators on tracing and recovering assets in Australia, acted in capital markets defence work and directors’ duties claims arising from corporate collapse, and advised international investment managers on distressed debt positions and exit strategies. He is recognised by Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in South Australia’s restructuring and insolvency market.

Michael holds an accounting degree and completed ARITA’s Advanced Insolvency Course in 1992, making him one of the first lawyers in Australia admitted to full membership of the Association. This dual commercial and technical grounding underpins his practical, commercially focused approach to insolvency work.

Credentials

Academic qualifications:

Memberships:

Michael's experience

Capital markets/private equity

Defence of claims made in connection with major corporate share buyback and financing transactions.

Directors and officers duties

Defence of professional directors from fallout of corporate collapse.

Directors and officers for breach of duties

Australian domestic and International civil actions against directors and officers for breach of duties, breach of fiduciary duty and tracing of assets.

US based global investment manager

Advising in relation to a major distressed debt investment and exit strategies in Australia.

US, European and Asian corporate entities or insolvency administrators

Tracing and recovering assets in Australia.

Australian based entities

Tracing and recovering assets taken overseas fraudulently and via more sophisticated methods such as transfer pricing.

Awards, recognition and ranking