About

‘Among the number of responsibilities I have had to cope with, in my career in and outside the legal function, the most exciting and rewarding of all has certainly been that of corporate lawyer in the hydrocarbons business’. Michel Berger joined Total in 1981 in the oil and gas exploration division and has worked under numerous titles, accumulating a number of professional achievements over time. Having been assigned to international corporate affairs, Berger established the first long-term representative office in Brussels; the advantages of which encouraged other major European and American companies to follow suit. As the legal director of the financial holding he clarified and simplified the legal and corporate structure by divesting financial participation in sectors that did not encompass the core of the business. Between 1998 and 2005 during his re-visit to the oil and gas exploration division, this time as head of legal, Berger successfully negotiated numerous large oil and gas projects in South America and the Middle East. As the general counsel for Total Chemical he consolidated the legal management into two fully integrated legal teams based in Paris and Brussels. Drawing on over 30 years of experience at Total, Berger continues to shape the legal landscape, improving functionality between lawyers and implementing best practices in legal management. Having helped steer Total through troubled economic times related to the steep down turn of oil and gas prices in 1990, Berger, armed with respectable experience and knowledge of company history, is well placed to take Total through contemporary challenges the company is facing in Africa and the more recent drops in oil prices. He comments: ‘the best ways to address such critical issues are to improve our internal legal processes, the reactivity and adaptability of the legal function to ever evolving legal environment’. Experience and achievements speaking for themselves, Berger will continue to be a crucial and indispensable component of Total.