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Education
J.D., University of Virginia
B.A., Duke University (magna cum laude)
Bar
Michael has been representing investors for over 30 years on the origination and monitoring of debt and equity investments in US and international private equity, venture capital, real estate and infrastructure funds, project and corporate finance transactions, and co-investment and direct equity deals. The head of Hill Stern’s Investment Team, Michael has structured (or re-structured), negotiated, documented and closed transactions involving the investment of some $2.6 billion into more than 65 private equity and other funds across more than a dozen jurisdictions. He has acted as lead international counsel for more than 20 Development Finance Institutions and other government-affiliated institutional investors on investment fund, co-investment and related matters. His direct equity and co-investment experience is in both the venture capital and mid-cap company spaces and includes transactions in the agri-tech, infrastructure and textile sectors in Asia, the global education technology space, the financial services sector in Latin America, and the retail store, telecommunications and hospitality sectors in Africa.
Michael also represents lenders on transactions involving the capitalization (debt and equity) of financial institutions other than funds including regulated banks, non-bank financial institutions and special purpose vehicles that on-lend the financing proceeds to downstream borrowers, for example to originate housing mortgages, microfinance institution loans, SME loans, and agricultural sector loans.
Prior to joining Hills Stern, Michael served as the top career lawyer for the investment funds program of the US government-owned Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) from 2002 to 2006. He served as a primary architect in the design and roll-out of OPIC’s restructured fund investment program, supervised the monitoring of a $2 billion fund investment portfolio, produce many of its template documents (including regarding ESG policies), and acted as chief legal counsel to the investment evaluation committee. As a result of his experience as in-house and outside counsel, Michael has a keen understanding of the challenges of implementing diverse commercial and policy investment objectives.
Before OPIC, Michael practiced with the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he spent six years focused on project development and investment transactions in the former Soviet Union, including two years managing the firm’s affiliate office in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Mr. Abbey is a member of the District of Columbia bar. He received a B.A. in economics and public policy from Duke University (magna cum laude), and a J.D. from the University of Virginia (Law Review, Articles Review Editor).
