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Michael Stern advises corporates, private equity funds, infrastructure investors and financial institutions on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private capital investments. His practice has a particular focus on digital infrastructure, energy and real assets.

Michael has experience advising on the establishment and investment into data centre platforms, strategic joint ventures, and long-term commercial arrangements in the digital infrastructure sector, as well as transactions across the energy, infrastructure, financial services, technology, real estate, shipping and consumer sectors.

Based in Singapore, Michael has been in the Asia-Pacific region since 2021 and has nearly a decade of experience advising on transactions across Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Europe.

He has completed in-house secondments with Citigroup (M&A advisory) and Gaw Capital (growth capital), providing him with a strong commercial and investor-side perspective.

Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Michael worked at a Magic Circle law firm across its Hong Kong, London and Abu Dhabi offices.

Expertise

Erfahrung

  • BlackRock on its US$200 million investment in South Korean solar energy development company Brite Energy Partners.°
  • Gaw Capital on its formation of a 50:50 joint venture with BW Group, Valent Energy, to develop, own and operate utility-scale battery energy storage systems in Australia.°
  • Mitsui on its acquisition of a 49% interest in the world’s first e-methanol production and sales business in Denmark held by European Energy.°
  • Green Investment Group, the specialist green energy principal investment business of Macquarie Group, on its €270 million acquisition of a 235 MW onshore wind farm in central Sweden.°
  • Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan on its bid to acquire a stake in certain East Asian energy assets.°
  • Equitix Investment Management on its acquisition of a 40% stake in the 316.8MW Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm.°
  • The ASX-listed mining company Universal Coal plc in defending a hostile takeover bid worth A$175 million from TerraCom Limited.°
  • DP World on its £322 million acquisition of P&O Ferries.°
  • ENI on its US$3.3 billion acquisition of a 20% equity interest in ADNOC Refining.°
  • Stonepeak in relation to multiple infrastructure investments.°
  • Cerberus on its acquisition of a portfolio of mortgage loans and other loan assets.°
  • A multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company on its proposed US$100 million acquisition and development of manufacturing facilities in Thailand.
  • One of the leading shareholders in connection with the $18bn merger of Gojek and Tokopedia, forming one of Southeast Asia’s largest technology platforms."
  • An international PE backed data center platform on its long term MSA with a large regional telco proposing to offer GPU as a service to its end-customers.
  • One of Asia’s largest diversified real estate groups on its proposed launch of a data center “club fund”.
  • Management on the proposed establishment of a private equity-backed data center platform.
  • A data center owner and operator on its proposed leasing arrangements with a hyperscaler.
  • Several large data center operators on U.S. regulations and restrictions on the export and use of GPUs and strategies to mitigate compliance and reputational risk associated with such export and use.
  • The founders on the proposed US$3bn sale of a mobile gaming company.
  • Systex Corporation, a leading Taiwan-based IT service provider, on its investment in Singapore-headquartered Net One Asia, a technology company.
  • A confidential bidder on its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in a mobile authentication company.
  • A leading data and AI company in South and Southeast Asia on its proposed acquisition of a digital marketing company’s South East Asian operations.
  • Ocado on its investment in Oxbotica, an autonomous vehicle software company.°
  • A leading European private equity fund on its proposed sale of an automotive data company.°
  • Citigroup on the US$4.7 billion sale of its Southeast Asia consumer banking franchises, including the sale of its Philippines franchise to Union Bank of the Philippines and its Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam franchises to United Overseas Bank.°
  • MUFG on multiple investments, including:
    • its US$393 million investment in Globe Fintech Innovations;
    • its US$195 million investment in Ascend Money; and
    • its US$200 million investment in and strategic collaboration with Akulaku.
  • SIX Group on its US$2.75 billion sale of its payments unit to Worldline in exchange for a 27% stake.°
  • Gaw Capital on its formation of a 50:50 joint venture with BW Group, Valent Energy.°
  • Venn Partners LLP, a specialist private credit investment manager in the UK residential sector, in connection with ARA Asset Management’s acquisition of a majority stake in the business.°
  • Alchemy Partners, a British mid-market private equity firm with £2.5bn assets under management, in connection with multiple investments and portfolio company matters.°
  • Glendower Capital on its acquisition of a 40% stake in in the famous London department store Liberty, valuing the business at approximately £300 million.°
  • Stonepeak in relation to multiple infrastructure investments.°
  • Cerberus on its acquisition of a portfolio of mortgage loans and other loan assets.°
  • A British private equity fund on its proposed take-private of a financial services company listed on the London Stock Exchange.°
  • SK Inc. in relation to multiple funding rounds in Meatless Farm, a U.K. plant-based protein company.°
  • A confidential bidder on its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in an SGX-listed company.
  • Inspecs Group on its €95 million acquisition of Eschenbach Holding, alongside a £64 million equity placing.°
  • A FTSE 250 company on its proposed takeover by a private equity firm.°
  • Advising a family office on its investment in a footwear company.

°The above representations were handled by Mr. Stern prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig Singapore LLP.

  • Legal Advisor, Valent Energy
  • M&A Solicitor, Citi

Ausbildung

Akademische Ausbildung
  • M.Sc., with Distinction, University of Law
  • LL.B., with Honours, Monash University
  • B.Comm., with High Distinction, Monash University
Zulassung
  • England & Wales
  • Singapore, foreign lawyer
Sprache
  • Englisch, Native
  • Chinesisch (Mandarin), Fluent

Related Capabilities

Gesellschaftsrecht M&A Private Equity