Overview
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Michael focuses his practice on corporate reorganization, bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation, and other insolvency matters. He represents debtors, official committees, secured and unsecured creditors, and other parties in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, out-of-court restructurings, liability management transactions, acquisitions, and other distressed situations.

Leveraging his restructuring background, Michael also works closely with other practice groups in advising on financing transactions such as real estate financing, securitizations, repurchase agreements, security lending arrangements, and other derivative agreements with a focus on insolvency risks, enforcement, and remedies.

Prior to joining the firm, Michael was a senior associate at another global firm where he represented debtors and lenders in restructurings and liquidations for aviation, pharmaceutical, energy, and retail companies.

  • Represented a Houston-based provider of drilling services for oil and natural gas producers in its prepackaged Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  • Represented a national furniture, electronics, and appliance retailer and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  • Represented a California-headquartered 3D printing technology company in connection with a debt for equity exchange transaction.
  • Successfully represented majority shareholders of an international shipping conglomerate in its trial against multiple creditor parties and the U.S. Trustee attempting to supplant the legacy board with a Chapter 11 trustee and related proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
  • Advised a national women’s fashion brand in connection with its out-of-court restructuring with key stakeholder groups.
  • Counseled private funds in connection with the sale and purchase of crypto currency and related assets subject to Chapter 11 proceedings.
  • Represented a private cargo air carrier and certain of its affiliates and subsidiaries in connection with their comprehensive financial and operational restructuring.
  • Represented a publicly traded pharmaceutical corporation in its Chapter 11 sale of intellectual property, inventory, and certain related assets relating to clinical-stage pharmaceutical to treat chronic kidney disease to a strategic purchaser.
  • Represented a Canadian-based pharmaceutical company in connection with the recognition and enforcement of orders issued in Canadian CCAA Proceedings approving a reverse vesting transaction.
  • Represented self-storage facility operators and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, which provided for payment in full of all creditors, and a return of equity funded by a US$588 million asset sale to a joint venture.
  • Represented several Chinese-based real estate developers in restructuring of over US$1.34 billion offshore dollar denominated notes and related Chapter 15 recognition proceedings.
  • Represented a creditor in recovery of US$270 million in customer funds in the Chapter 11 and SIPA liquidation proceedings of defunct investment bank MF Global, as well as obtained a favorable settlement in related civil litigation against former executives.

Michael focuses his practice on corporate reorganization, bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation, and other insolvency matters. He represents debtors, official committees, secured and unsecured creditors, and other parties in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, out-of-court restructurings, liability management transactions, acquisitions, and other distressed situations.

Leveraging his restructuring background, Michael also works closely with other practice groups in advising on financing transactions such as real estate financing, securitizations, repurchase agreements, security lending arrangements, and other derivative agreements with a focus on insolvency risks, enforcement, and remedies.

Prior to joining the firm, Michael was a senior associate at another global firm where he represented debtors and lenders in restructurings and liquidations for aviation, pharmaceutical, energy, and retail companies.

  • Represented a Houston-based provider of drilling services for oil and natural gas producers in its prepackaged Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  • Represented a national furniture, electronics, and appliance retailer and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
  • Represented a California-headquartered 3D printing technology company in connection with a debt for equity exchange transaction.
  • Successfully represented majority shareholders of an international shipping conglomerate in its trial against multiple creditor parties and the U.S. Trustee attempting to supplant the legacy board with a Chapter 11 trustee and related proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
  • Advised a national women’s fashion brand in connection with its out-of-court restructuring with key stakeholder groups.
  • Counseled private funds in connection with the sale and purchase of crypto currency and related assets subject to Chapter 11 proceedings.
  • Represented a private cargo air carrier and certain of its affiliates and subsidiaries in connection with their comprehensive financial and operational restructuring.
  • Represented a publicly traded pharmaceutical corporation in its Chapter 11 sale of intellectual property, inventory, and certain related assets relating to clinical-stage pharmaceutical to treat chronic kidney disease to a strategic purchaser.
  • Represented a Canadian-based pharmaceutical company in connection with the recognition and enforcement of orders issued in Canadian CCAA Proceedings approving a reverse vesting transaction.
  • Represented self-storage facility operators and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, which provided for payment in full of all creditors, and a return of equity funded by a US$588 million asset sale to a joint venture.
  • Represented several Chinese-based real estate developers in restructuring of over US$1.34 billion offshore dollar denominated notes and related Chapter 15 recognition proceedings.
  • Represented a creditor in recovery of US$270 million in customer funds in the Chapter 11 and SIPA liquidation proceedings of defunct investment bank MF Global, as well as obtained a favorable settlement in related civil litigation against former executives.

Top areas of focus

Education

  • Brooklyn Law School, J.D.
  • Hofstra University, B.B.A., cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • New York

Clerkships

  • Hon. James L. Garrity, Jr., U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, 2020-2021
  • Co-author, “Subject Matter Jurisdiction No Block to the Texas Two Step,” The Legal Intelligencer, September 9, 2025.
  • Author, “‘Liberty Requires Accountability’: The Appointments Clause, Lucia v. SEC, and the Next Constitutional Controversy,” 11 Wm. & Mary Bus. L. Rev. 173 (2019).
  • Author, “Americold, Diversity Jurisdiction, and Modern Business Entities: Reconciling Two Centuries of Supreme Court Precedent with Today’s Domestic and Global Forms of Business Organizations,” 16 Journal of International Business & Law 165 (2017).
  • Author, “Rule 68 Offers of Judgment: Supreme Court Invites the Next Case,” 255 New York Law Journal 4, March 1, 2016.