Meet our People

Michael has over 34 years’ of experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer practicing across numerous jurisdictions and countries.

Michael works with global corporations and institutional investors on all aspects of their businesses.

Throughout his career, Michael has provided advice to directors, boards, management committees and senior management in relation to transactional, risk and compliance issues and provides strategic advice on projects and transactions in the following areas:

• International cross border and domestic M&A;
• Mining and resources;
• Energy (including in relation to hydrogen, LNG projects and LNG SPA’s);
• Power, renewables, decarbonisation and sustainable fuels;
• Infrastructure and Technology;
• Transport and utility PPP’s;
• Energy, Power and Resources regulatory;
• Complex Joint Ventures; and
• Finance and restructuring transactions.

In addition to working on transactions throughout Australia, Michael has gained a breadth of international experience from working on transactions in Europe, Asia, Africa as well as North and South America. Michael has also held positions in Japan, Singapore and the US.

Michael has been recognised by several legal directories including, Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, and Legal 500 Asia-Pacific in the areas of Energy & Natural Resources and Projects & Energy.

Michael’s recent experience includes advising:

• Carbon Logica Pty Ltd in a transaction to acquire the gas fired Moranbah Power Station in Queensland and lease the power station to a Queensland group company of listed ASX company QPM Energy Ltd (QPME)
• Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (Soul Patts) on its $A40 million investment in North Harbour Clean Energy, a developer of Battery Energy Storage System and hybrid solar/battery projects in Australia
• J-Power on the A$500 million Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project in Victoria which involved advising on all aspects of the coal gasification and hydrogen production portion of the project and on the consortium deed and grant agreements
• An international energy investor on its proposed investment in the development of a 360MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and 120MW solar farm in New South Wales, including project development, financing and security arrangements
• Sumisho Coal Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, an ultimately wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation (Sumitomo), on its acquisition of a shareholding interest in Loop Decarbonisation Solutions Pty. Ltd. (Loop), a joint venture company owned by the listed drilling company Mitchell Services Limited and mining services entity Talisman Partners.