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He is a client's dream, [he] can handle all aspects of a deal on his own, is very efficient and reasonable with his billing, and does a good job of delegating work to members of his team, he has always exceeded expectations, is very smart and is able to convey information in a manner that enables commercial decisions to be made based on his legal advice. – Legal 500 Latin America 2019 Client Quote

John Michael is a name synonymous with offshore energy. [Chambers USA, 2023]

I love the global nature of what I do. On any given day, I'm talking to clients in Brazil and an opposite number in Paris, and a lender in New York, and a buyer in Madrid. I don't know whether it's an art or a science, but explaining to a West African energy minister and a New York investment banker and a Brazilian oil and gas engineer how the deal has to work so they will all understand it and benefit from it is a consistent challenge and a lot of fun.

Project development and finance is largely an exercise in problem solving – every project faces its own unique set of extremely complex challenges. We are fortunate to have clients that trust us to help them overcome those challenges with the development of what is usually a fundamentally important piece of infrastructure that serves a community or region.

I’m really motivated by the development – and purchase and sale – of groundbreaking projects, whether it's a project to unlock the largest known lithium and boron deposit in North America, complex infrastructure or a cutting edge renewables project. My focus is on the big picture and finding legal solutions to the critical business issues. I’m proud to work on tangible assets that people get to live with and benefit from for a long time after a deal is complete.

We try not to be the lawyers who get hung up on technicalities. Because we are steeped in our clients’ businesses we can focus on the issues that are most important to them.