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.

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.