Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Michael J. Schobel is a partner in Wachtell Lipton’s Executive Compensation and Benefits Department. He focuses on executive compensation and employee benefits matters, principally in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions. Mr. Schobel also advises public and private companies on the design, implementation and administration of equity and cash compensation arrangements, the negotiation of executive employment agreements and related corporate governance and disclosure matters.

Mr. Schobel was named an MVP in executive compensation and benefits by Law 360 in 2025. He also is recognized as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America by Lawdragon. He was ranked as the number-one Employment Lawyer in North America by MergerLinks in 2024 and 2023. He also was named a Rising Star by Law 360  in 2019, recognizing him as one of the country’s top five executive compensation and employee benefits lawyers under 40. He received a B.A. cum laude from the College of William and Mary in 2006. Mr. Schobel completed a J.D. with high honors from Duke University School of Law in 2009 where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and an articles editor of the Duke Law Journal.

College of William and Mary, B.A. 2006, cum laude

Duke University School of Law, J.D. 2009, Order of the Coif (Articles Editor, Duke Law Journal)