About

As general counsel of Silicon Valley Bank’s Financial Group’s, Michael is responsible for leading the company’s legal department as well as providing strategic guidance to its management team and board. He joined SVB in 2014 from Citigroup, where he most recently was deputy general counsel.

During his 12 years at Citi, Michael covered a wide range of legal matters, most recently focusing on Citi Holdings and mergers and acquisitions. He also served as senior counsel to Citi’s chief financial officer and the company’s finance organization, advising on public company disclosures and capital markets transactions. During the financial crisis, Michael advised on investments by the US Treasury in Citi and led teams which prepared senior executives for Congressional hearings.

Previously, Michael worked at Morgan Stanley as a principal in the legal department covering investment banking and principal investing. He later served in a business role as a chief operating officer for a private equity fund at Morgan Stanley. Michael also served as general counsel of TheStreet, an Internet financial news provider. He advised the company on its initial public offering, corporate governance and international expansion. He started his legal career as a corporate associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in New York.

Michael holds two bachelor’s degrees from Brown University — one in history and another in law and society. His law degree is from New York University School of Law. He is on the board of directors of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and is also on the board of the American Red Cross of the Bay Area.