Michael Holter

Aviation clients rely on Michael for his experience representing airlines and shareholders on airline acquisitions and privatisations. He is also an expert on aviation-specific agreements such as airline alliances, large-scale aircraft maintenance (MRO) and technical support/component pool agreements and transactions involving the sale and lease of airport slots at congested airports (such as London Heathrow).

• 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 Lufthansa’s aircraft maintenance and repair company, Lufthansa Technik, and its subsidiaries on numerous long-term, $100+ Boeing and Airbus aircraft maintenance contracts with airlines including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Qantas, Qatar and Malaysian and Virgin Airlines.
• Advises 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 SPL’s entire client base.
• Most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael helped his aviation clients develop a radical new way of contracting and charging for their technical aircraft support.
• Advised ACL, which is the UK’s designated statutory body for coordinating take-off and landing slots at the UK’s congested airports (including London Heathrow), in relation to a contract awarded by HMG’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
• Advised the UK’s designated airport slots coordinator in relation to the re-allocation of landing and take-off slots at London Heathrow Airport resulting from the insolvency of Flybe
• Advising Spairliners GmbH on and negotiating large-scale aircraft component pool maintenance agreements for Airbus A380 and Embraer aircraft for a series of airline customers, including Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Kenya Airways, KLM Citihopper, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SAS Link, Air Dolomiti and French regional carrier HOP! Also advised on the expansion of the client’s business into North and South America.
• Advising Spairliners GmbH, a 50%/50% joint venture between Lufthansa and Air France/KLM, on producing radically revised contract templates for SPL’s large-scale aircraft maintenance agreements with its customers and suppliers that take account of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.

Michael’s expertise in the media and communications sector involves advising companies on cross-border acquisitions and disposals. He has also helped his clients build out their international communications networks and infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions.

• 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).
• Represented the Mansour Group Family Office in relation to a significant $45 million investment in Spotify.
• Acted for the Mansour Group in relation to an investment in Flubit, a UK online e-commerce platform for electronic goods.
• 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.
• Negotiating $100 million sale of Radianz, a leading provider of secure electronic network facilities to the financial services industry, from Equant to Reuters plc.

• Represented the Mansour family office in relation to its investment in the Educas group, which provides educational services in Europe, the US and Australia.
• Acted for the Mansour family office in relation to a $42 million investment in Millennium Offshore, which operates offshore accommodation platforms for the oil and gas industry.
• Represented the Mansour family office in relation to its investment in Spotify.
• Represented the Mansour Group in relation to a major settlement agreement with Philip Morris.
• 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.

• Advising the Mansour Group in relation to its exclusive distribution arrangements with BAT, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris and JTI in Egypt and Nigeria.
• 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.