Michael is a Partner in the Corporate Group of Simpson Grierson's Commercial Department, a group of specialist corporate and securities lawyers providing strategic advice on high-profile and complex transactions.  He also heads the firm's Private Capital (private equity and venture capital) Group.

Michael has significant mergers and acquisitions, private equity and capital markets experience, having been involved in many leading multinational transactions both in New Zealand and overseas.  Michael worked with Simpson Grierson from 1994 to 1998 and subsequently for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, one of the world's leading law firms, in London from 1998 to 2004. Michael rejoined Simpson Grierson in August 2004.

• Agria (a NYSE listed Chinese agriculture business) - NZ$120m investment in PGG Wrightson (PGW) (an NZX listed agri-solutions business) as part of its NZ$250m capital raising, and associated strategic agreement between Agria and PGW
• Matariki Forests (New Zealand's third largest forestry company) - in connection with the proposed $167m investment in it by London listed Phaunos Timber Fund Limited
• Advising Auckland City Council in connection with its successful multi-party bid to host the Rugby World Cup 2011 matches
• Advising Auckland City Council, on its offering of up to $100 million secured fixed-rate, five year bonds (with the ability to accept $50 million in oversubscriptions), to be listed on the NZX (2009)
• State Grid Corporation of China's bid for Vector's Wellington Electricity Lines Business (2008)
• DB Zwirn's financing of Positive Educare in connection with the takeover offer for Kidicorp Group (2007)
• Auckland City Council's purchase of the 13 hectares of waterfront land and wharves at Wynyard Point (2007)
• Goldman Sachs JBWere's $18 million secondary placement of shares in Cavotech MSL Holdings Limited (2007)
• Dorchester Pacific's acquisition of a 25% stake in St Laurence, the placement of a 13% interest in Dorchester to St Laurence Mortgage Holdings and the associated grant of various put and call options over shares in St Laurence (2007)
• DB's bid for Independent Liquor (2006)
• The Turnerco consortium's proposed recapitalisation of Feltex Carpets (2006)
• Gullivers Travel Group's $235 million takeover by Australian travel and property management company S8 (2006)
• Various private equity bidders in connection with bids for Ezi-buy, Tegel, Griffins and Hirepool
• Private Health Care's exit in relation to the $340 million takeover by Retirement Villages (NZ) of Metlifecare (2005)
• Dongwha Holding's US$40 million acquisition of an MDF manufacturing plant in Southland from Rayonier (2005)
• Gullivers Travel Group's $160 million IPO and listing on both NZSX and ASX (2004)
• AMP Capital Investor's mezzanine debt funding in connection with the public takeover by Pacific Equity Partners of Guardian Healthcare Group (2004)
• Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and UBS's GBP2.7 billion placing and listing of new shares on the London Stock Exchange by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, at the time, the second largest ever accelerated bookbuilt placing
• SWISS International Airline's alliance with British Airways
• Cinven's public takeover of Fitness First, at the time, the world's second largest international chain of fitness centres for GBP204 million
• Northrop Grumman Corp's. US$11.8 billion merger with TRW Inc
• Morgan Grenfeld Private Equity's GBP875 million disposal of its tenanted pubs portfolio to Enterprise Inns
• Compass Group in the GBP3.2 billion sale of Le Meridien, Posthouse, Heritage and Signature branded hotels worldwide
• The Royal Bank of Scotland Group's GBP24 billion hostile takeover of National Westminster Bank and delisting from the London Stock Exchange

• New Zealand Private Equity & Venture Capital Association - Board Member
• New Zealand Venture Capital Association (NZVCA) - Member
• Asia Pacific Legal 500 2008 Corporate/M&A - Leading Lawyer
• Chambers Global 2008 Corporate/M&A - Leading Lawyer
• PLC Which Lawyer? 2009 Corporate/M&A - Leading Lawyer
• PLC Which Lawyer? 2009 Private Equity & Venture Capital - Leading Lawyer