Michael Lawton

Michael Lawton is a managing director in Oaktree’s Sourcing & Origination group, focusing on private credit sourcing and deal origination in North America.  Prior to joining the firm in 2025, he served as a managing director at BlackRock, where he led the U.S. Private Sourcing and Leveraged Finance Capital Markets team within BlackRock Capital Markets.  In that role, Mr. Lawton originated and structured private credit opportunities sourced from financial sponsor clients and bank partners.  Prior thereto, he spent over fifteen years as a managing director in Leveraged Capital Markets at UBS Investment Bank where he originated, structured, and syndicated high yield bonds and leveraged loans.  Mr. Lawton began his career at UBS in technology investment banking in San Francisco.  He holds a B.Sc. degree in business from Wake Forest University.