Continued Growth in London Targets In-Demand Restructuring Financial Services Work
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP today announced that Michael Jacobs has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the litigation group. With deep experience in complex, high-stakes banking and finance litigation, Michael will bolster BSF’s global capabilities, especially with regards to cross-border restructuring and insolvency. His arrival coincides with recent additions in New York, as the firm gears up for client demand within the contentious financial services offering.
Michael spent several years as an associate then as counsel for BSF in London, where he acted on the firm’s most high-profile banking and corporate insolvencies in recent years. He then joined another American firm as senior counsel. Clients value his broad experience, technical expertise, and ability to create leverage in alignment with their strategic goals.
“Boies Schiller presents the very best platform for providing clients top-tier representation. There is also a broader mission that goes beyond doing great work for clients when you have the opportunity to help build an office, and that’s a very exciting proposition.” Michael said. “For me, the ethos of the firm drew me back in. I’m looking forward to sitting down at my desk and picking up where I left off. From rekindling former client relationships to working again with the core team here, including some excellent recent additions, the chance to re-join was tremendously compelling.”
Having begun his legal career shortly after the global financial crisis began, Michael’s litigation practice naturally gravitated toward insolvency, restructuring, and regulatory issues within the banking and financial institutions sector. For example, early on he advised a number of major creditors of Lehman Brothers. Building upon that experience, Michael regularly represents investment banks, hedge funds, and private investors on matters arising out of a range of investments, including equity structures, corporate and sovereign bonds, credit agreements, securitizations, and derivatives. Michael often acts in multi-party disputes, ranging from ad hoc groups and lender syndicates to group litigation and class actions, on both claimant and defendant sides.
“Michael has consistently shown himself to be an exceptional securities litigator with deep experience in banking, financial services, and contentious restructuring and insolvency litigation. As we continue to grow our premium disputes resolution practice in London, Michael’s skillset strengthens our offering to clients in a busy practice area. He brings tremendous expertise to existing cases, and I look forward to working closely with him,” said London partner Prateek Swaika. “Our clients are international. Michael enhances our global reach and cross-border capabilities, helping align the London office with our U.S. restructuring and insolvency team.”
Complementary to his focus on the financial sector, Michael has also built up a noteworthy practice within the tech space, regularly advising clients on issues relating to GDPR, cryptocurrency, and digital assets.
“Michael was a big part of the Firm’s initial efforts to establish the London office, and we are thrilled to welcome back an attorney who is so familiar with the culture and has relationships with some of our key clients,” said Managing Partners Sigrid McCawley, Matthew L. Schwartz, and Alan Vickery.
“Michael is a great example of our efforts to purposefully grow the London office in a way that’s integrated with the rest of the firm. He is another strong addition on the heels of recent laterals in New York – all of whom have significant experience in an area where we are seeing high demand.”
Boies Schiller lawyers have acted on almost all of the major bank collapses and sovereign debt crises of recent years, as well as numerous significant corporate insolvencies and restructurings around the world. Whether in or out of court, we regularly represent creditors, ad-hoc groups, and others in distressed or special situations where litigation drives the ultimate recovery. Our firm and our lawyers are consistently ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 for our expertise in banking and finance litigation.
“The BSF litigation practice is unique in London. Like many lawyers in the city, I represent large investment banks, but we go up against banks, as well. BSF shaped my approach as a litigator to embrace complex disputes and strive to be innovative and entrepreneurial. Especially given the current economic climate, BSF is a firm where I can develop my individual practice,” Michael said.