Michael is a consultant legal adviser with over 30 years’ experience in domestic and international litigation and arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution. Michael was a practicing barrister at the commercial bar from 1989 until 2022. He was recognised as a leading practitioner in commercial dispute resolution as well as in IT, telecoms, civil fraud and banking and finance disputes.

Michael retired from the bar in 2022 to pursue pro bono legal activities alongside legal consultancy.

At the bar his practice encompassed most areas of domestic and international commercial and business litigation and arbitration with particular emphasis on IT/Telecoms, civil fraud and banking/finance disputes.

In the IT/telecoms fields, Michael has substantial experience in disputes concerning systems and software development, implementation, outsourcing and licensing. His expertise in civil fraud cases encompasses deceit, conspiracy and other economic torts and breach of directors’ and fiduciary duties and other equitable claims. His banking & finance expertise includes bills of exchange, documentary credits, guarantees and similar instruments, asset finance, commercial and sovereign loans and other capital raising transactions.

More generally, Michael has extensive experience in share and asset sale disputes especially misrepresentation/breach of warranty claims; sale and supply of goods and services including facilities and process outsourcing; financial services including group misselling claims; professional negligence; breach of confidence and joint ventures.

Some notable IT/telecoms cases in which Michael acted at the bar include Soteria v IBM (trial and appeal concerning an unsuccessful project to implement a consumer insurance platform) and Reliance Globalcom v OTE International Solutions (jurisdiction over a dispute under international telecoms agreements). In civil fraud some of his notable cases include PIFSS v Al Rajan and others (alleged bribery of the director of the Kuwait pension fund), VTB v Nutritek (jurisdiction in fraud claim in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court), Ross v Misra (allegedly dishonest withholding of a trust interest in a quasi-partnership company), Tablet

Investments v Brahma Finance (alleged conspiracy, breach of confidence, malicious falsehood in connection with a loan agreement; non-party costs liability).

Legal directory entries about Michael include the following:

Chambers & Partners 2022

Really straightforward and easy to deal with. He is incredibly quick, highly efficient and someone who really knows his stuff (commercial dispute resolution)

He has incredible analytical ability, work ethic and intellectual chops, and he can dissect people in cross-examination." "He is very responsive and easy to work with, and he manages the client very effectively (information technology)

Legal 500 2022

His strengths include incredible attention to detail, being commercially focused and that he is an incredible advocate. One of the sharpest counsel I have ever encountered (IT & telecoms)

Highly intelligent, proactive and hard-working (banking & finance)

Practice Areas

• Litigation

• Arbitration

• Dispute Resolution

Tel: +44 (0)20 7291 1670