Full Profile
Michael is an "excellent, hands on and savvy operator" (Chambers UK 2013) and a recognised international disputes and arbitration specialist. He has considerable knowledge of the Black Sea region and advises on both hard and soft commodity issues.
Michael specialises in international dispute resolution governed by arbitration bodies including ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, and ICC as well as trade association tribunals such as GAFTA, FOSFA, CTF, LME, SAL and RSA.
In addition to arbitration work, Michael advises clients on disputes before the English High Court and in the context of private mediations. His remit also covers advising on international sanction regimes as well as issues arising out of the OECD bribery and corruption convention.
Michael is “lauded for his ‘fresh no-nonsense approach to legal issues,'.... acting for a major European-based aluminium trader in an ICSID arbitration with the government of Azerbaijan over the seizure of production assets.” Chambers 2010. Michael has contributed a chapter on “Commodity Arbitration” to “Arbitration in England” (2013) edited by Julian Lew QC and published by Kluwer.
Experience
- Inerco Trade SA v SOS Cuetara: Successfuly acting on this high profile FOSFA arbitration concerning a soft commodity agreement and time limits for the commencement of the arbitration. The recent judgment was widely reported, having implications on the timing of all future soft commodity cases
- Handling a number of FOSFA arbitrations arising out of the contamination of Ukrainian origin sunflower oil with mineral oil which resulted in a Europe-wide recall with the Award granted in favour of our client
- Advising a metals trader in respect of an aluminium trading dispute with a manufacturer in relation to a claimed force majeure and non-delivery of material
- Advising a Latvian biodiesel trader in relation to alleged fraud by a Chinese biodiesel supplier
- Advising major Russian oil company in the defence of a GBP 29m UNCITRAL claim arising out of Russian sub-soil rights
- International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ""ICSID""
- Fondel Metal Participations – v – The Republic of Azerbaijan – acting for Dutch trading company seeking compensation from the Government of Azerbaijan for the wrongful expropriation of an aluminium facility in Azerbaijan.
- Advising international trading company in a claim under a Bilateral Investment Treaty between United Kingdom and Bulgaria.
- Advising international trading company in a claim under a Bilateral Investment Treaty between United Kingdom and Nicaragua
- Advising a Russian Oil Company in a claim before the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kosovo arising out of the NATO/United Nations intervention in Kosovo
- Acting for a trading company in connection with investigations undertaken by the International Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Advising major Ukrainian Steel manufacturer in bringing a claim through the LCIA against an American counterparty
- Advising international oil trader in a multi-party ""ad hoc"" arbitration arising out of the carriage of a cargo of jet fuel
- Advising major Russian metal producer on LME arbitration arising out of the insolvency of a well known American energy trading corporation
