Michael Shepherd

Partner

Sydney

Michael advises the firm’s key international clients and their senior executives on their most significant disputes and regulatory investigations. His practice focuses on complex, high stakes, commercial litigation, class actions and contentious regulatory matters. Michael has represented multi-national corporations and global financial institutions in high profile trials and investigations in Australia, the U.S. and Asia. Michael regularly advises clients in relation to investigations and enforcement actions brought by ASIC and the ACCC. His cross border regulatory experience includes dealings with key U.S., European and Asian financial services and anti-trust agencies.

Michael has advised on some of Australia’s largest disputes and investigations including, most recently, successfully defending The Sage Group plc from an AUD200 million claim brought by Archer Capital, successfully defending Lanco entities from an AUD150m claim brought by the Griffin Energy Group, and advising leading financial institutions in relation to international benchmark investigations.

Michael is recognised by Chambers Asia Pacific 2016 as an “up and coming partner” “especially respected for his knowledge of financial services issues”. Chambers notes that Michael “attracts highly positive comments from both peers and clients, the former seeing him as ‘an up-and-coming partner with a lot going for him,’ whilst the latter describe him as ‘very on the ball’ and an ‘insightful, clear and forthright’ practitioner who ‘gets stuck into things.’”

Michael is a member of the New York Bar, having spent six years with a leading U.S. firm. He is co-author of the chapter on class action law in Australia for “Litigating Securities Class Actions” (published by LexisNexis).