Career
Based in Bird & Bird's Frankfurt office, Michael serves as co-head of the international Finance & Financial Regulation practice group, leads the German Finance & Financial Regulation practice group and is a member of the international Financial Services sector group.
His advisory focus is centered on national and international financial and capital markets law, commercial and corporate law as well as banking and payment services regulation. With many years of experience in executing and restructuring domestic and cross-border transactions, his work also involves collaborating with international colleagues on financial transactions and restructurings in over 50 jurisdictions.
With a remarkable understanding of new and disruptive technologies and the legal challenges they present to businesses, he advises international and national companies, financial institutions and start-ups on all areas of banking regulatory law and its interplay with digitalisation. This includes market-transforming technologies like blockchain or distributed ledgers. His client work ranges from lobbying for new legislation to corporate finance to the practical application of regulatory law for companies in FinTech, InsurTech, RegTech and other sectors.
In addition, he regularly speaks at conferences and congresses on the future of the financial services sector and provides interviews and expert opinions for both daily and trade press publications.
Personal
Studies:
• Legal studies at the University of Potsdam
• Doctoral thesis at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
• Legal clerkship in Berlin and Vancouver
Admissions:
• Admitted to the German Bar in 2002