Michael Copeland

Michael has almost 20 years’ experience as corporate lawyer focusing on M&A, joint ventures, special situations and general corporate advisory work.  He also has experience of advising on corporate and shareholder disputes and settlement agreements.  Throughout his career, Michael has acted on matters across a range of sectors and advised extensively on cross-border transactions, with a particular focus on emerging markets.

Prior to joining Ignition, Michael was a partner in the London office of one of the largest Russian law firms, having previously spent more than a decade at Herbert Smith Freehills in London, Moscow and Singapore.

Michael has also spent time on secondment with BP’s M&A legal team in London.

Relevant experience includes:

Advising:

• an international company in respect of its strategic outdoor advertising joint venture in Russia, including the disposal of its 25% shareholding;
• a high net-worth European investor on the acquisition of a transport infrastructure concession in a CIS jurisdiction;
• an investment company on its disposal of a controlling interest in a mining project and shareholders’ arrangements in connection with the future development of the projectthe controlling shareholder of a major fishing company on the acquisition of the minority shareholder’s blocking stake;
• the selling shareholders on the disposal of their controlling stake in a trans-Eurasian rail freight business;
• a European engineering company on the acquisition (by asset purchase) of a power turbine business; and
• a private equity investor on a mezzanine facility to a renewable energy business and related profit-sharing arrangements.