Michael Ryland

Author
Profile

Michael Ryland

Michael Ryland is the principal and founding director of the Centre for Social Finance Law.

Michael has over 35 years of broad ranging experience in corporate finance, investment funds and commercial law, including 20 years as a partner at global law firms Ashurst and Herbert Smith Freehills. He has worked in Australia, Japan and Indonesia, and has spent two years as a full time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).

Michael has particular experience in the law relating to social investment, working with a range of for-purpose and for-profit clients on social impact projects, both domestic and cross-border. This has included work on social investment fund structures, social impact bonds and other financial instruments, social infrastructure projects, social and affordable housing, disability services and accommodation, and community initiatives and projects.

Authored Content

  • ,

    Blended Finance for a Just Transition

    A deep-dive into legal frameworks for blended finance, exploring its role as a crucial financing tool for facilitating a just transition and launching a seminal GAIL report written and produced by a cross-jurisdictional working group of impact lawyers: “Unlocking Legal Pathways for Blended Finance: Case Studies and Global Insights”.

    See More →

  • ,

    Closing Plenary: Building Communities, Building a Movement

    An interactive and discursive plenary session explores actionable strategies to enable lawyers to innovate in their practices, foster community collaboration, and drive impactful change across regions. Michael Ryland, Director, Centre for Social Finance Law and Vice-President, GAIL, Moderator (Australia) Christina Bartholemew, Co-Founder, Stories Evolved (UK) Karyn Polak, Founder, Shift the Prism Advisory and former serial…

    See More →

  • Unlocking Legal Pathways for Blended Finance: Case Studies and Global Insights

    A pathbreaking report by a global working group of GAIL lawyers, which examines the legal landscape for blended finance across different regions of the world.

    See More →

Become a Member