Michael Holter

Michael advises buyers and sellers on business sales, acquisitions, and group reorganisations, including deal structuring, due diligence, and negotiation of key terms.

• Lead UK partner for Lufthansa’s strategic investment in and acquisition of BMI (British Midland International) airline.
• Acted for South Africa’s leading media/e-commerce company in the $100m+ sale of its Greek pay-TV business.
• Advised founders on the sale of one of the UK’s leading podcast businesses to a strategic investor.

Michael advises clients on joint ventures across a range of sectors, drafting and negotiating shareholder agreements to set out ownership rights, decision-making powers, and exit arrangements.

• Advises Spairliners GmbH, a 50%/50% joint venture between Lufthansa and Air France/KLM.
• Advised on a complex joint venture and shareholder agreement for a new technology platform created by a number of leading mobile telephone manufacturers.
• Advised the Mansour Group in relation to its exclusive distribution arrangements with BAT, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris, and JTI in Egypt and Nigeria.

Michael advises airlines and shareholders on acquisitions, privatisations, and airport slot transactions. He is an expert in aviation agreements, including alliances, MRO, technical support, and aircraft sale-and-lease arrangements.

• Worked on the documentation to found the Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world, which now comprises more than 25 major international carriers.
• Lead UK partner for Lufthansa’s strategic investment in and acquisition of the BMI airline.
• Advised the Greek government in relation to the successful privatisation of Olympic Airways.
• Advised Spairliners, the 50/50 joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and AirFrance/KLM, on their long-term, high-value Airbus and Embraer aircraft component pool and support agreements for SPL’s entire client base.
• Advised Spairliners on producing radically revised contract templates for its large-scale aircraft maintenance agreements to take account of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.
• Advised ACL, which is the UK’s designated statutory body for coordinating take-off and landing slots at the UK’s congested airports, in relation to the re-allocation of landing and take-off slots at London Heathrow Airport resulting from the insolvency of Flybe.

Michael specialises advising family offices in international transactions and, in relation to its international diversification strategy and a number of its international businesses.

• Advised one of the leading family-owned Egyptian and international conglomerates in relation to its exclusive distribution arrangements with BAT, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris, and JTI in Egypt and Nigeria.
• Represented a family office in relation to a significant $45 million investment in Spotify.
• Acted for a family office in relation to its investment in the Eduqas group, which provides educational services in Europe, the US, and Australia.
• Advised one of the two main beneficiaries of a €6 billion family trust in France on the corporate aspects of a major restructuring of that trust.

Michael advises telecoms, technology, and media clients on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and complex commercial agreements.

• Advised multinational consumer internet and technology company Prosus (part of the Naspers Group) in relation to the restructuring of its $1.8 billion shareholding in Russian internet portal and e-commerce conglomerate mail.ru (now VKontakte).
• Advised the Naspers Group in relation to the roll-out of its pay-TV encryption technology and a series of related supply agreements for set-top boxes in Europe and Africa.
• Represented the Naspers Group in relation to its $100+ million investment in Turkish online retail company Markafoni.
• Acted for the Naspers Group in relation to its successful disposal of its MultiChoice/Nova pay-TV business in Greece.
• Negotiated the $100 million sale of Radianz, a leading provider of secure electronic network facilities to the financial services industry, from Equant to Reuters plc.

Recognised by The Legal 500 UK for Aviation 2022, 2024-2026

Recognised by Who’s Who Legal for Transport: aviation regulatory 2023

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Corporate and Commercial: M&A – mid-market 2017–2020

Recognised by Best Lawyers UK for Aviation Law 2021