James Macdonald

Michael specialises in corporate and personal insolvency law and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading insolvency lawyers.

He acts regularly for banks, financial institutions and other secured lenders providing advice in relation to the security enforcement. He acts for insolvency practitioners in all types of personal and corporate business restructuring and insolvency administrations.

Michael is regularly engaged to act for companies and directors providing advice on the restructuring of distressed businesses. He has acted in some of Australia’s most high profile bankruptcy administrations.

With over twenty years’ experience acting in insolvency matters, Michael mixes his high level of technical skills with his commercial experience in identifying and achieving the optimal outcome for his clients. In workouts and restructuring, Michael will set out the framework for a successful restructure and then work closely with our commercial and property teams on execution of the plan. Michael is also regularly involved in the bringing and defending of a wide range of insolvency actions including preference claims, insolvent trading and avoidance of property transfers. Michael is regularly engaged to assist in the forensic investigation through the undertaking of public examinations of directors and related parties.

Michael was National Chair of the Law Council’s Insolvency and Reconstruction Committee between 2014 and 2015, and prior to that, Chair of the Victorian Committee (from 2011). As a long standing member of that committee, he has actively participated in the reform of the insolvency law and has given evidence to several parliamentary inquiries.

He is the author of Chapter 4.7 of the LexisNexis publication Personal Property Securities in Australia on “Agricultural Security Interests”. He is regularly invited to speak at leading industry conferences.