Michelman & Robinson LLP

Firm Overview

Michelman Robinson is a firm founded in Los Angeles in 1999 by Sanford Michelman and Mark Robinson. From its beginnings, the firm has distinguished itself through a strategy-first approach, providing clients with tailored solutions and proactive guidance across complex legal and business challenges. Over the past two-plus decades, Michelman Robinson has grown to eight offices worldwide, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas, Irvine, Chicago, San Francisco, and London, combining coast-to-coast strength with global reach.

The firm’s approach is defined by a relentless focus on results, with teams that embed themselves in clients’ businesses, anticipate challenges, interpret emerging trends, and deliver solutions designed to meet the moment. Recognition in publications such as the Daily Journal, The American Lawyer, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Billboard, Vault, and the National Law Journal underscores the firm’s reputation as a leading advisor across multiple industries.

London’s Offering

The London office, launched in June 2025, serves as a strategic hub for the firm’s international operations, providing clients with locally grounded expertise supported by the firm’s global network. The office’s work is centred on three core practice areas: Corporate Crime & Investigations, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration, and Banking & Finance, each led by distinguished partners supported by highly capable associate teams.

Corporate Crime & Investigations

In Corporate Crime & Investigations, Partners Polly Sprenger, Ruth Paley, John Gibson, and Lily Dou team up with associates Charlotte Moss, Alice Mills, Ross Lennox, and Patrick Lloyd, advising global corporates, financial institutions, and senior executives on regulatory investigations, internal inquiries, enforcement strategy, and anti-money laundering compliance.

Ruth Paley is widely recognised for her thought leadership, contributing to Lissack & Horlick onBribery and Corruption, to the FT Advisor on Section 196 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act and the proposed crime and policing bill, features in International Compliance Association on Corporate Liability, and regularly lectures on risk, compliance, and enforcement. Complementing her expertise, Lily Dou brings extensive forensic accounting experience to complex investigations and regulatory matters, providing deep insight into financial crime, fraud, and anti-money laundering compliance. John Gibson further strengthens the team with his proven track record in leading high-stakes corporate investigations and advising clients on sensitive regulatory and enforcement issues. The team’s excellence is reflected in the firm’s Band 2 ranking in Chambers Financial Crime: Private Prosecutions, while Polly Sprenger is individually recognised in Band 1 of Chambers Financial Crime: Private Prosecutions, in addition to being recognised as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 for Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates), and Private Prosecutions.

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

The Commercial Litigation and Arbitration team, led by Partners Daniel Burbeary and Akshay Sewlikar, with the support of associate Lizzy Williams, focus on complex, high-value cross-border disputes, including international arbitration, fraud recovery, asset tracing, and shareholder and investor-state matters. The team brings a strategic, client-first approach, handling sensitive multijurisdictional disputes with practical, results-oriented guidance.

Daniel Burbeary is recognised for his calm, strategic approach to multijurisdictional disputes and his extensive experience representing clients across Africa, China, Russia, and the CIS region in both litigation and arbitration. Akshay Sewlikar brings deep expertise in financial services disputes, regulatory investigations, and cross-border litigation, leveraging his dual qualifications in India and England & Wales and his experience advising both corporates and sovereign clients. He is also an active thought leader, most recently authoring an article on cross-border privilege in India titled Cross-Border Caution: No Privilege for In-House Legal Teams in India, which provides practical guidance for multinationals navigating the Supreme Court of India’s clarification on legal privilege.

Together, the team delivers client-focused, commercially minded advice, combining legal rigour with pragmatic strategies to achieve results in complex international matters, while also producing regular commentary, such as monthly sanctions newsletters, that provides clients with timely, practical insight into evolving regulatory and enforcement developments.

Banking & Finance

In Banking & Finance, Andrew Shutter leads a practice advising on syndicated lending, high-yield bonds, structured finance, derivatives, and corporate and sovereign restructurings. He is widely recognised as a market authority, combining 3 decades of experience with deep technical knowledge to guide clients through some of the most complex and high-profile financing transactions.

Andrew has advised a broad range of sophisticated clients, including private equity sponsors, investment banks, corporates, and sovereign entities, across multiple jurisdictions and industries. He serves as editor of the Practitioner’s Guide to Syndicated Lending and regularly publishes on sovereign debt, collective action clauses, and restructuring reform, providing practical insight into evolving markets and regulatory frameworks. Known for his strategic, client-focused approach, Andrew brings clarity and precision to complex financial matters, helping clients navigate risk, achieve transactional objectives, and respond effectively to market and regulatory developments.

Giving Back

At Michelman Robinson, giving back is an integral part of the firm’s identity rather than an afterthought.

Pro bono work is woven into the fabric of the firm, reflecting a commitment to using legal expertise to support communities, expand access to justice, and drive meaningful change. Lawyers at every level and across all practice areas contribute to initiatives that make a real-world impact, from advocating for children and underserved populations to supporting mission-driven organizations that address systemic social challenges. The firm proudly partners with organizations including Beat the Streets LA, the Southern Area Youth Program, Public Counsel, Project Hope Alliance, NY Legal Assistance Group, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Digital Place-Based Advertising Association, and Nourish LA, delivering services that range from education and youth development to civil legal representation and food justice.

This sustained dedication ensures that the firm’s influence extends beyond clients, creating tangible benefits for communities while reinforcing a culture of purpose, responsibility, and leadership among its lawyers.

Our Commitment

At Michelman Robinson, our commitment to clients is defined by three guiding pillars. Every engagement starts with strategy, ensuring solutions are tailored to each client’s objectives and the complexities of their business and legal landscape. We are driven by insight, leveraging deep expertise, market knowledge, and cross-border experience to anticipate challenges and provide practical, forward-thinking guidance. Our work is always delivered with impact, translating strategic advice into tangible outcomes that protect and advance our clients’ interests.

Across our global network, including our London office, we combine specialist knowledge, collaborative teamwork, and a client-first ethos to navigate complex disputes, regulatory matters, and high-value transactions with precision, rigor, and purpose.