Michael is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Department. He specialises in pursuing and defending complex commercial disputes with a particular focus on fraud and insolvency litigation, often with an international focus. He is experienced in all aspects of injunctive relief and asset recovery.
Michael acts for a wide variety of corporations and individuals, providing a broad range of legal expertise. He has particular experience acting both for and against financial institutions and insolvency practitioners which gives him a unique insight into how best to protect his clients. He is recommended in Legal 500 and recognised for his "excellent technical skills".
Key Experience
- Acted against administrators for breach of duty relating to the sale at an undervalue of the main asset of the company, being a valuable commercial property in the Docklands (Re Angel House Developments Limited).
- Acted for the administrators of Caterham Formula One team and its Malaysian parent, in various aspects of the administration including the determination of competing claims for participation monies received from Formula One, advising on contentious creditor claims and investigations into officeholder claims (Re Caterham Sports Limited).
- Acted for Russian individuals and related corporations in a US$500million fraud claim brought by TNK-BP relating to the funding and financing of substantial property assets in Montenegro and successfully discharging a freezing order and order to serve out of jurisdiction on forum grounds and on merits (OJSC TNK-BP v Lazurenko & others).
- Acted for a Russian individual discharging an ex parte injunction retraining the use of allegedly confidential and sensitive documents on the basis on the Russian law of confidentiality (OJSC TNK-BP v Lazurenko).
- Acted for the Respondents to an unfair prejudice petition where provisional liquidators were appointed arising from a shareholder dispute between Russian parties which included allegations of fraud, involving various applications to limit the powers of the provisional liquidators (Re Beppler & Jacobson Limited).
- Acted for a number of American individuals in defamation and harassment proceedings brought by high profile Lebanese businessman with significant interests in Kazakhstan (Issam Hourani v Thompson & others).
- Acted against administrators in an application made under section 72 of the Insolvency Act 1986 concerning the provision by a related company of assets, staff and other necessary ancillary services (Re Business Environment Fleet Street).
- Acted for shareholders opposing a winding up order following presentation of a petition in the Isle of Man and the appointment of provisional liquidators, involving allegations of fraud and which directly concerned the sale proceeds of a substantial property in Mayfair (Re Vintage Holdings Limited).
- Acted for Gordon Ramsey Holdings Limited, and related entities, in a dispute concerning the ownership of Petrus restaurant (Re Petrus (Kinnerton Street) Limited)
- Acted for the Hong Kong trustee in bankruptcy of a high profile businessman who had defrauded creditors of HK$94million, and a major creditor, in a dispute regarding the ownership of a substantial property in London (Re Gabriel Dias Azedo).
- Acted for an Irish Bank in a large guarantee claim against directors of connected companies in administration who counterclaimed for £220million which included succeeding in the Court of Appeal on the Defendants' appeal following the decision of the lower court not to order security against the bank (Anglo Irish Asset Finance Limited v Flood & Riddell).
- Acted for a group of property investment companies obtaining a freezing and proprietary injunction against directors of the asset management company which managed a portfolio of properties, claiming damages for breach of trust and fiduciary duty, deceit and conspiracy, and dishonest assistance (Uddington Business Limited v Browne & English)
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Assistant, Mishcon de Reya
Qualified, Wilde & Partners