Michael A. Adams is the Perpetual Trustees Australia Professor of Financial Services Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney. His specialist areas are corporate law, financial services regulation, management law and corporate governance. In 2002, he was appointed Assistant Director of the research unit, the UTS Centre for Corporate Governance. Between 1993 to 1998 he was Director of the Cross-Disciplinary Programmes at UTS. Michael has been teaching corporate law in the UK, Australia and USA for over 18 years. In both 1993 and 1998 he was a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Louisville (Kentucky, USA) and Southampton (UK).

Michael holds a degree in business law, accounting and economics, as well as a master's degree in corporate law and intellectual property from University College, London.

Michael is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators [ICSA] and was the 2001 Australian President of Chartered Secretaries Australia. In 1998, he was appointed one of the Australian representatives on the ICSA International Council of Chartered Secretaries and serves on the ICSA Professional Standards Committee. Michael has been responsible for the Institute's "Applied Corporations Law" subject since 1992.

Michael is an author of a number of books, articles and regularly contributes to the Butterworth's loose-leaf service "Australian Corporation Practice" and TimeBase’s “Corporations Law Commentary” CD-ROM. His book, Essential Management Law (2001) and Essential Corporate Law (2002) and referred articles have been well received. His research and publications on insider trading with A/Prof Mark Freeman of UTS have been widely reported in the media. List of publications is available at his website.

In 1992 Michael was honoured for his expertise in teaching and educational developments with the UTS Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2000 this was followed by the Federal Government awarding him Australian University Teacher in Law and Legal Studies, worth A$40,000. As Past President of the Corporate Law Teachers’ Association, he still serves on the Executive of the Australasian Law Teachers’ Association.

Through Adams Gunn Consulting Pty Ltd, he provides legal risk management, evaluation and training. Michael chairs various charities and other committees, including the mediation of disputes. He is a Consultant to the National Financial Services Group of Blake Dawson Waldron, lawyers.