Michael is the head of our international securitisation and structured finance practice.
Michael focuses on all types of securitisation and structured finance work. He brings a deep commercial understanding to transactions having joined the firm as a partner in 2008 from Citigroup, where he was an investment banker in their European Securitisation Group. Prior to that he practiced for many years in the structured debt group at Clifford Chance.
Michael advises arrangers, lead managers, originators, issuers, private equity, hedge funds, trustees, rating agencies and other market participants, often on complex and first-of-a-kind financings.
Since 2009 Michael has been consistently recognised for his expertise in securitisation and is a member of Legal 500's Hall of Fame and ranked as a leading and recommended lawyer in Chambers, IFLR 1000, Best Lawyers and Who's Who Legal. Michael was recently awarded "2024 UK Securitisation Lawyer of the Year" by BestLawyers.
Michael led the team which won Legal Business Finance Team of the Year 2016 and The Lawyer Finance Team of the Year 2016 for its work for Virgin Atlantic's innovative and ground breaking securitisation of its London Heathrow landing slots.
- Michael "gives great advice and offers exceptional transaction management."
Chambers UK 2023 - Michael "has superb knowledge and, as a former banker, can place himself in the client's shoes."
Chambers UK 2023 - Michael is "very commercial and cuts through complex issues"
Legal 500 UK 2023
Background
Michael leads Herbert Smith Freehills’ structured finance and debt capital markets practices, and joined Herbert Smith Freehills as a partner from Citigroup in 2008, where he was an investment banker in their European Securitisation Group.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Virgin Atlantic on its multi-award winning securitisation of its Heathrow airport landing slots – the first transaction of its kind in Europe
- BAML and Barclays and Citigroup as arrangers and joint-lead managers on TSB Bank's inaugural Duncan Funding 2015-1 RMBS transaction and the subsequent inaugural 144A Duncan Funding 2016-1 RMBS transaction
- The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the UK Government's sale of a £900 million portfolio of mortgage-style student loans to the private sector
- A steering committee of senior bondholders on the restructuring of the €2 billion Fleet Street II (Karstadt) German CMBS – the first European CMBS restructuring that included an extension of the maturity of the notes
- Goldman Sachs as arranger of a €5.1 billion securitisation by National Bank of Greece of cashflows under a long term interest-rate swap with the Hellenic Republic
- Cabot Square and its portfolio companies on numerous securitisation funding facilities
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