Michael holds bachelor degrees in Arts and Law from Auckland University in New Zealand and is qualified to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia, the Supreme Court of England and Wales and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands).
After graduating in 1982, Michael worked in a major New Zealand law firm in Wellington, focusing on estate and trust planning and administration, before moving to Australia where he worked in the tax practice of a major international accounting and audit firm, focusing on international taxation, especially in relation to the mining and energy sector. Michael moved to London in 1989, where he worked in the private client department of a major City law firm.
Since 1991, Michael has worked in the international corporate and trust services industry and in his almost 30 years’ experience, has worked in various global jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, where he worked in Curacao, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, in Asia, where he worked in Singapore, and Europe, where he worked in Amsterdam, Geneva and London.
During his career, Michael has developed a broad range of experience and knowledge across the industry, from managing some of the most complex legal issues facing private clients, to assisting major multi-national listed corporations and funds in navigating the myriad of challenges brought about by international regulatory frameworks.
Michael has been editor and occasional contributor to various industry publications.