Michael O'Donnell

Michael has more than 25 years of experience as a disputes/litigation lawyer. He has an accounting degree and a street-wise approach.

Michael specialises in:

• Recovery of money and assets out of trade, finance or fraudulent transactions, both in Australia and internationally.
• Corporate and personal insolvency/bankruptcy law, where Michael regularly defends and prosecutes the claims of liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy.
• Transactional structuring, strategic risk management, and distressed company restructuring.
• Commercial property and lease disputes.

Michael is a tenacious litigator when required, and has conducted numerous court actions as counsel at all levels, including the High Court. In more recent years his role has been in developing strategy in the litigious processes to drive efficient, commercially relevant outcomes for clients.

Michael completed the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association’s Advanced Insolvency Course in 1992 and was one of the first lawyers in Australia to be admitted to full membership of the Association.

Recent Experience Includes:

• Capital Markets/Private Equity – defence of claims made in connection with major corporate share buyback and financing transactions.

• Directors and officers duties – defence of professional directors from fallout of corporate collapse.

• Directors and officers duties – Australian domestic and International civil actions against directors and officers for breach of duties, breach of fiduciary duty and tracing of assets.

• US based global investment manager – advising in relation to a major distressed debt investment and exit strategies in Australia.

• US, European and Asian corporate entities or insolvency administrators – tracing and recovering assets in Australia.

• Australian based entities – tracing and recovering assets taken overseas fraudulently and via more sophisticated methods such as transfer pricing.