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Michael is a corporate and commercial lawyer whose practice includes a strong emphasis on cross-border work and assisting clients realize opportunities and overcome challenges in the U.S. market. He provides transactional and other assistance to businesses, handling mergers and acquisitions, technology development and licensing, joint ventures and product and supply agreements. Michael works extensively with technology, service and product innovators from Finland and other parts of the Nordic region. He has a more than thirty year track record helping clients with market entry and scale up, customer contracts, growth through fund-raising and acquisitions, risk matters and exit transactions.
Michael was recently awarded the designation Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland, in recognition of his longstanding work with Finnish companies and his service to the country.
Michael has been active in providing pro bono services for much of his career. He has served as pro bono counsel to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for more than 35 years. Michael’s pro bono work also includes serving Finland’s Crisis Management Initiative in the US and the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York.
The environmental technology company, Nederman Holding AB, represented by Sullivan, recently acquired a leading industrial air filtration company RoboVent, significantly strengthening its North American position by becoming the number one player within the U.S. weld fume extraction segment. Sullivan has provided acquisition advice to Nederman since 2017. Sullivan’s Environment & Natural Resources group handled preparation of environmental provisions of the purchase agreement and disclosure schedules and advised as to regulatory compliance at the target company.
Michael J. Student, Avinash R. Rao, Amy E. Sheridan, Erika L. Todd, Douglas S. Stransky and Ida J. Vanto
In November 2021, Sullivan together with its clients Merger & Acquisition Services, Inc., and International Transportation Marine Office, LLC (ITMA) received the Cross-Border Deal of the Year ($50 to $100 million) Award, at the 20th Annual M&A Advisor Awards in New York City. The award was given for the sale of ITMA to MS Amlin Underwriting Limited, a UK company. Don Kaitz retained his role as chairman of Arizona-headquartered ITMA, and the business continued to be led by Eric Kaitz, Chief Executive Officer. Earlier in 2021, Douglas Stransky and Michael Student, along with Merger & Acquisition Services Inc., advised ITMA and the Kaitzes.
Partner and head of Sullivan's International Tax Group, Douglas Stransky, commented, "We are thrilled to receive this honor and be together in-person with our clients and friends, Merger & Acquisition Services, Inc. and Don and Eric Kaitz, and proud to have collaborated with them on this sale."
Douglas S. Stransky and Michael J. Student
Hiring a new employee is typically a moment of optimism—and sometimes, the relationship really does go wonderfully for its entire length and ultimately ends on good terms. But when that hope is treated as an assumption, companies make themselves vulnerable. If a client-facing employee does not have a non-solicitation agreement, a business’s customers could be poached. A new employee, hired because of their great industry relationships, might actually have an
Sullivan & Worcester was featured in Law360 Real Estate Authority's "NYC Real Estate Week In Review," which highlighted the largest New York City real estate transactions recorded during the week. The publication recognized Sullivan's representation of Fattal Hotel Group in its acquisition of the Blakely Hotel, a Manhattan hospitality property located at 136 West 55th Street. The approximately $38.5 million transaction was among the week's largest deals to hit public records.
The U.S. Congress passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (the “Housing Act”) and presented it to President Trump on June 29, 2026. At midnight on July 10, 2026, the Housing Act became law because the President did not return it to Congress within ten days (Sundays excepted). The Housing Act includes a wide range of housing reforms designed with the goal of making housing more available and affordable. This alert
Geoffrey Wynne will participate in a panel discussion at ITFA's 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference alongside Ailsa McNeil, Director at Texel, and Hernan Mayol, Board Member and Representative of ITFA Americas and Chair of ITFA’s Latin America Regional Committee (LARC). The session, titled “Financing the future: From defence to critical raw materials,” will be moderated by Clarissa Dann, Editorial Director at Deutsche Bank AG. The session will explore how trade
Simon Cook, in his role as ITFA's Head of Education, will jointly moderate a Q&A on “The next generation: Three emerging leaders, three ideas”, together with Charlie O'Mulloy, chair of ITFA’s Emerging Leader Committee and Associate Banker at EBRD, at ITFA’s 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference in Split, Croatia on September 9. The Q&A will follow the presentations made by the finalists of the 2026 ITFA Emerging Leader
Ryan Rosenblatt was quoted in Law360's article, "Upon Review: The 2026 World Cup's Biggest Legal Stories," which examines the legal, regulatory and policy disputes that emerged during the 2026 World Cup, including issues involving FIFA's disciplinary decisions, immigration challenges, public art protections and the legal dispute surrounding Gillette Stadium's hosting of World Cup matches. Discussing the agreement reached between FIFA's affiliate Boston 2026 and the Town of Foxborough over security fees
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced on July 7, 2026, the creation of the Retail Fraud Working Group, a new initiative within the Division of Enforcement designed to identify and combat fraud targeting main street investors. The announcement formalizes a priority that SEC Enforcement Director David Woodcock previewed in his May 13, 2026, remarks to the Managed Funds Association Legal & Compliance Conference, reflecting the current Commission’s broader
Sullivan & Worcester represented Fattal Hotel Group, owner and operator of 329 hotels across 22 countries and based in Tel Aviv, in its acquisition and financing of The Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The acquisition marks the client's first hotel investment in the United States and is a milestone in its evolution from a leading European hospitality operator into a global hotel group. The acquisition was completed on July 7,
On July 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed a new rule, Regulation E-Delivery, that would expand the ability of issuers, including registered investment companies, investment advisers, and broker-dealers, to use electronic delivery (“e-delivery”) to satisfy information delivery requirements under the federal securities law. If adopted as proposed, Regulation E-Delivery would broadly address the e-delivery of “covered information” by “covered entities” to “covered recipients” (each as described further
Molly Depew will present “Basics of Estate and Trust Administration” at the American Bar Association (ABA)’s Skills Training for Estate Planners, a virtual conference taking place September 17–18 and sponsored by the ABA Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section. The program offers a streamlined, practice-focused introduction to estate planning for attorneys building skills in trusts and estates. Ideal for young lawyers and those transitioning into the field, the course provides
Hiring a new employee is typically a moment of optimism—and sometimes, the relationship really does go wonderfully for its entire length and ultimately ends on good terms. But when that hope is treated as an assumption, companies make themselves vulnerable. If a client-facing employee does not have a non-solicitation agreement, a business’s customers could be poached. A new employee, hired because of their great industry relationships, might actually have an
Sullivan & Worcester was featured in Law360 Real Estate Authority's "NYC Real Estate Week In Review," which highlighted the largest New York City real estate transactions recorded during the week. The publication recognized Sullivan's representation of Fattal Hotel Group in its acquisition of the Blakely Hotel, a Manhattan hospitality property located at 136 West 55th Street. The approximately $38.5 million transaction was among the week's largest deals to hit public records.
The U.S. Congress passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (the “Housing Act”) and presented it to President Trump on June 29, 2026. At midnight on July 10, 2026, the Housing Act became law because the President did not return it to Congress within ten days (Sundays excepted). The Housing Act includes a wide range of housing reforms designed with the goal of making housing more available and affordable. This alert
Geoffrey Wynne will participate in a panel discussion at ITFA's 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference alongside Ailsa McNeil, Director at Texel, and Hernan Mayol, Board Member and Representative of ITFA Americas and Chair of ITFA’s Latin America Regional Committee (LARC). The session, titled “Financing the future: From defence to critical raw materials,” will be moderated by Clarissa Dann, Editorial Director at Deutsche Bank AG. The session will explore how trade
Simon Cook, in his role as ITFA's Head of Education, will jointly moderate a Q&A on “The next generation: Three emerging leaders, three ideas”, together with Charlie O'Mulloy, chair of ITFA’s Emerging Leader Committee and Associate Banker at EBRD, at ITFA’s 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference in Split, Croatia on September 9. The Q&A will follow the presentations made by the finalists of the 2026 ITFA Emerging Leader
Ryan Rosenblatt was quoted in Law360's article, "Upon Review: The 2026 World Cup's Biggest Legal Stories," which examines the legal, regulatory and policy disputes that emerged during the 2026 World Cup, including issues involving FIFA's disciplinary decisions, immigration challenges, public art protections and the legal dispute surrounding Gillette Stadium's hosting of World Cup matches. Discussing the agreement reached between FIFA's affiliate Boston 2026 and the Town of Foxborough over security fees
