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While Michael’s first degree was in modern languages and he had a 15 year career in publishing, he has been a commercial lawyer for nearly a decade. He worked as international sales and marketing manager for several well known book and magazine publishers, and more recently he was for six years international relations manager for the Reuters News Agency’s television news subsidiary. He has worked in a number of countries and cultures around the world. Michael is an experienced commercial negotiator and advisor in public and private sector transactions, and a qualified mediator. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1999. General Commercial Drafting and negotiating supply agreements and terms of purchase, advising in connection with tender documents and requests for proposals Advising on a wide range of international trade and competition issues Advising clients in connection with public procurement issues for significant public contracts Advising on and negotiating service level agreements, project management, performance monitoring and service deductions Information Technology, Computer Software and Leisure Software Negotiating supply and licensing agreements under public finance initiatives as part of the National Programme for IT of the Department of Health Licensing front and back office computer software to a range of major hedge funds and investment banks Negotiating an agreement between a computer manufacturer and a European satellite broadcaster and broadband content provider Negotiating brand licences and publishing licences on behalf of computer game software developer Drafting standard agreements for the provision of SMS and voice telephony services for a leading telecoms network provider Advising U.S. providers of computer software and other technologies on acquisition of U.K. subsidiaries Advising one of the largest providers of outsourced IT services regarding reorganisation of its portfolio of UK subsidiaries and redrafting statutory corporate documents Publishing Negotiating warehouse, distribution and wholesaler agreements for book publishers and for magazine publishers and distributors Drafting and negotiating interactive television agreements for magazine publisher Drafting national and international licensing agreements for magazine and book publishers Drafting and negotiating agreements for outsourced sales and administrative functions for publishers Advising European publisher on acquisition by its UK subsidiary of UK competitor (including a reference to the Competition Commission) Drafting and negotiating outsourced CRM system for magazine distributor Intellectual Property Advising clients regarding trade mark and patent registrations in the U.K. and Europe Advising internet search engine provider in connection with application to register computer software patent in the UK and Europe Advising on intellectual property issues connected with the sale of the UK division of a U.S. retail franchise operation Drafting website design and development and revenue share agreements and website terms of use for a range of e-commerce , e-publisher and "clicks and mortar" clients Michael has spoken at conferences and seminars in the UK on negotiating software contracts and e-commerce issues, and is an occasional lecturer at the University of Westminster School of Communications. He has contributed columns for the Guardian Media Law section. | 