Michael leads strategic intelligence, geopolitical risk advisory and complex due diligence investigations across Japan and South Korea. Clients come to him when they need the confidence to make a high-stakes decision or when something mission-critical is not going according to plan. His expertise spans corporate governance, compliance and integrity risk, asset tracing, dispute support and sensitive, multi-jurisdictional assignments.
A large part of Michael’s work supports M&A transactions, uncovering risks and opportunities that traditional financial or legal due diligence may not surface. He advises on acquisition targets, joint venture partners, suppliers or a major real estate or infrastructure investments. He also evaluates prospective partner or senior executive appointments, assessing leadership, governance, reputation and integrity. Where clients face allegations of misconduct, fraud concerns or disputes, he provides an objective view of what practical options are available.
Recent engagements include:
- Supporting investors evaluating commercial and industrial land acquisitions in Japan, identifying ownership, governance and regulatory issues that could have created liabilities after acquisition
- Assessing an organisation and its leadership ahead of a strategic opportunity in Japan, enabling the client to proceed with a clearer view of governance and reputation
- Investigating the misuse of a client's brand by third parties in South Korea, establishing the scope of the issue and the options available to protect its interests
Having worked across China, Japan and South Korea for more than 20 years, Michael brings local expertise and a practitioner's perspective, shaped by an earlier career in compliance.
Michael holds a Master's in Finance and Financial Law from SOAS, University of London, and a Bachelor's in Financial Analysis from the University of Cape Town.