PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Michael began his legal career in Nashville at the law firm of Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner, P.C. (aka h3gm), where he served as an associate in its corporate practice group for seven years. When h3gm dissolved in early 2016, Michael found himself in need of a new home, preferably one that would permit him to continue practicing in the efficient, client-centric way he had emphasized while at h3gm. Upon meeting the Klein Solomon Mills team, he knew he had found that new home, and joined the firm as a member in March 2016.

Michael’s law practice encompasses a wide range of corporate subject matter, including assisting clients with structuring corporate transactions and joint ventures, negotiating private equity investments (whether on behalf of investors or founders), negotiating complex commercial contracts, and structuring and negotiating secured transactions. Michael particularly enjoys the opportunity to engage with clients on a long-term basis and learn their business in depth. Michael has found that having such knowledge ultimately leads to greater efficiency and vastly better legal work product, both of which his clients seem to appreciate.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

WEX/EFS

WEX/EFS is a provider of innovative over-the-road fuel card and corporate payment solutions and is headquartered in South Portland, Maine. Michael represented EFS in connection with its sale to Warburg Pincus in 2013 and a subsequent sale to Wex Inc. Michael also represented EFS in connection with its acquisition of T-Chek Systems operations from C.H. Robinson in 2012. Michael continues to represent WEX/EFS in connection with the negotiation of contracts with its customers, vendors and business partners.

Uniguest

Uniguest deploys and manages technology systems principally in the hospitality industry. Michael represented Uniguest in connection with its sale to Atlantic Street Capital in 2013. Prior to and after the sale, Michael has represented Uniguest in connection with general corporate matters, various acquisitions, and the negotiation of contracts with its customers, vendors and business partners.

Relevance Capital

Relevance Capital is a venture centric capital formation group headquartered in Tullahoma, TN. Michael has represented Relevance Capital in connection with the formation of two of its funds and with multiple private equity and venture debt investments in various portfolio companies, including its investments in Cortac, Opti-Logic, Consensus Point, SIGNiX, Cutting Edge Wheels, QLER, American Geothermal and Agisent.

OccuSystems

OccuSystems is an occupational health benefit management organization headquartered in Nashville, TN. Michael represented OccuSystems in connection with its 2014 formation, its receipt of multiple rounds of private equity investment, and several acquisitions since. Michael continues to represent OccuSystems in connection with general corporate and contractual matters.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

A native Middle Tennessean, Michael was born in Fayetteville and raised in Murfreesboro. After high school, he moved to Nashville to attend college at Vanderbilt University, where he majored in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, graduating summa cum laude and with honors in Electrical Engineering. Upon graduation, Michael accepted a job at Deloitte Consulting and moved to Atlanta, which ultimately became his base of operations for seven years. While with Deloitte, and later self-employed, Michael worked as a management and technology consultant, assisting clients in over 15 states, as well as Canada and Mexico, with business process reengineering.

While working on a project in London, Ontario (in January) and after having racked up several hundred thousand frequent flier miles and hundreds of hotel nights as a road warrior, Michael decided a career change was in order. After briefly considering business school, which many of his colleagues had opted to do, Michael concluded that training as an attorney offered the best opportunity to leverage his knowledge of business and technology in an entirely new way, and one that would incidentally allow him to move back home to his native Middle Tennessee. After two years of preparation and planning, Michael accepted a full scholarship from Vanderbilt Law School and returned home to Nashville, where he has lived ever since.

Michael’s family is largely based in and around Lincoln County, Tennessee, where he was born. His parents, along with his sister’s family, an aunt and uncle, and cousin all have made their homes on what was in his mother’s youth, a 250+ acre dairy farm operated by Michael’s maternal grandfather. The farm, located near Petersburg, Tennessee, has been in his family since his great, great grandfather first acquired the land. While he lives in downtown Nashville today (with a couple of incorrigible Italian greyhounds), he often finds himself traveling down to Lincoln County on the weekends to see his family. In addition to spending time with family, Michael’s interests include reading, science and technology, cars, travel, and good food.