Expertise
Michael is a dual-qualified (England & Wales/ New York) specialist in international arbitration and commercial litigation, and Co-Head of Gateley’s International Arbitration practice.
For over 14 years Michael has advised clients on cross border and domestic disputes across a wide range of industries including engineering, construction, power, oil & gas, real estate, pharmaceuticals/ life sciences, IT and financial services. Michael has acted as counsel on international arbitrations conducted under the major institutional arbitration rules including the ICC, LCIA, AAA-ICDR, SCC, ICSID, as well as ad hoc UNICITRAL arbitrations. He has managed litigation before the English courts and federal and state courts in the United States.
Michael also assists clients on matters ancillary to litigation and arbitration proceedings such as enforcement of arbitration awards and court judgements, injunctive relief, attachment on assets, as well as discovery in the United States in aid of foreign proceedings (Section 1782). He assists clients seeking funding of their disputes and advises on the purchase of arbitration awards in the secondary market.
In addition to contentious work, Michael assists clients with advisory matters such as drafting dispute resolution provisions in commercial agreements and investment structuring. He has significant experience advising clients on disputes involving sovereigns and public international law.
Michael regularly talks at conferences in the UK and internationally on arbitration and litigation matters. He previously worked for a major international law firm, spending significant periods practicing in both New York and London.
How do you help clients?
I work with private businesses and governments to resolve the cross-border and domestic disputes that they face.
Experience
- Acted for the employer in contentious proceedings arising out of one of Europe’s most important energy infrastructure projects.
- Acted for a leading US company in the IT healthcare sector in a dispute with a hospital in the Middle East.
- Advising one of Eastern Europe’s largest producers of agricultural commodity products on matters arising out of a significant corporate bond default.
- Advised a South Korean corporation defending a US$2bn claim in ICC proceedings arising out of the collapse of a joint venture to construct a new international business district in South Korea. Also defended client in a parallel lawsuit brought in federal court in New York (SDNY).*
- Acted for a consortium of Chinese lenders in an LCIA arbitration in a dispute relating to the financing of a major real estate project in East London.*
- Acted for a US defence contractor in LCIA arbitration proceedings against the UK Government in relation to the design and development of a state of the art national IT security system.*
*denotes experience at prior law firm