Michael Wager focuses his practice on the representation of private and publicly held entities in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance and strategic growth initiatives. He has particular expertise and experience in representing companies and investors in change of control transactions. Mr. Wager has served as counsel and adviser to, and director of, several private and public companies; he is currently a director of Cascal N.V. (NYSE: HOO), (operator of water and wastewater facilities in Europe, Asia and Latin America) and Michael Anthony Holdings, Inc. (holding company with real estate assets in the United States and Latin America). In 1994, Mr. Wager earned the designation of “Dealmaker” from The American Lawyer magazine.

Mr. Wager is active in several civic and philanthropic organizations. He is the chair of the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and a member of the board of the Northeast Ohio Development Fund LLC. He also serves as chair of the selection committee for the American Marshall Memorial Fellowship (an affiliate of the German Marshall Fund) and as a member of the advisory board of the National Leadership Council of the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland. In addition, he serves on the Cuyahoga County Renewable Energy Task Force and the Executive Committee of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. Mr. Wager has previously served as a member of the board of the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland (owner of Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena), the Cleveland Foundation’s Task Force on Economic Development and the Mayor’s Convention Center Task Force.

Mr. Wager has also served as the chair of a Cleveland-based private equity firm. He frequently speaks on matters involving capital formation, securities regulation, change of control transactions and infrastructure finance and development.