Michael C. Thaler

Michael is a partner and co-chair of the Corporate & Finance practice, advising private and public companies, founders, family-owned businesses, and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions, complex transactions, corporate governance, and strategic growth initiatives. As a leader at AGG, Michael plays a pivotal role in advancing client service initiatives, ensuring that the firm’s corporate work continues offering innovative, practical legal solutions that help companies achieve their long-term business goals.

Michael works closely with business owners, executives, and investors to guide them through every stage of the business lifecycle, from corporate structuring and growth planning to acquisitions, securities, financings, and exit transactions with a business-focused approach. He is particularly focused on helping companies prepare for successful sales, often serving as a strategic advisor years before a transaction to position the business for maximum value. Clients regularly turn to Michael for guidance on transaction structures, including asset versus equity sales, cash and rollover equity considerations, employee retention and incentive planning, and tax-efficient deal execution.

His practice spans a broad range of industries, including transportation and logistics, food distribution, restaurants, healthcare, retail, information technology, e-commerce, and construction. Michael also advises clients on tax credit transactions and investment structures involving renewable energy, historic rehabilitation, and other tax credit programs, an area of growing focus within his practice.

In addition to transactional matters, Michael counsels companies through operational business matters, such as drafting and negotiating employment agreements; non-competition agreements; equity and cash incentive plans; vendor, supplier, and customer contracts; and debt and equity financing arrangements.

Clients value Michael’s practical, business-focused approach to transactions. He is known for helping clients stay focused on the issues that matter most, maintaining momentum toward closing, and finding solutions that support business objectives without creating unnecessary obstacles. Whether coordinating large deal teams, managing multiple stakeholders, or navigating complex negotiations, Michael is recognized for being responsive, even-keeled, and committed to helping clients achieve successful outcomes on their preferred timeline.

Michael has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® for his work in Banking and Finance, Corporate, and Mergers & Acquisitions Law. He translates this deep knowledge of corporate law into his leadership of the Corporate & Finance practice by deepening specialization within sub-teams and prioritizing attorney professional development to create more responsive teams and efficient deal execution for clients.

Before beginning his legal career, Michael spent a decade working for a federally funded education program in Florida and Georgia, experience that now informs his collaborative and solutions-oriented approach to client service. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law, and received both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in exercise and sport science, cum laude, from the University of Florida.