Michel Nussbaumer is chief counsel, Legal Transition, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Before becoming a team leader of the Legal Transition and Knowledge Management Team at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Mr. Nussbaumer worked for almost three years as counsel in the banking operations section, where he was responsible for legal aspects of various investments of the Bank, with a particular focus on SME financing. He has practiced as a commercial lawyer in Geneva, Moscow and London. While in private practice, Michel acted as Swiss correspondent for various legal publications and has also published a number of articles on Swiss and Russian legal matters. Mr. Nussbaumer received his original Law degree from the University of Fribourg and a masters degree in Law from the University of California at Berkeley. He was also a visiting scholar at Moscow State University.