Michael Strauss

Michael Strauss started his role as General Counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in January 2020.

Michael Strauss was appointed General Counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in January 2020.  In that role, Mr Strauss serves on the Executive Committee, the Crisis Management Team and various other committees of the Bank.

Mr Strauss joined EBRD from private practice as a Partner at the Washington-based law firm Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP.  Prior to this, he represented the United States on the Board of the Asian Development Bank and served as a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the US Treasury.  He has worked as a legal counsel in both the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, primarily focused on sovereign debt, institutional governance, political risk mitigation and development in Francophone Africa.  He began his legal career in capital markets, equity and privatizations in the Paris, London and Washington offices of the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP.

He has a JD from Stanford Law School (where he has also taught as a lecturer in law), a Master’s from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy (where he has taught as an adjunct professor) and a BA from Williams College.  Mr Strauss, a US national, is admitted to the Bar in New York and Washington, DC.