Asia-Pacific
Practice Areas
Michael practises primarily in commercial law, with a particular emphasis on contractual disputes involving large infrastructure projects and the energy and resources sector. He has acted for major global and Australian corporations.
Career
Michael has appeared in complex hearings before Courts and arbitrators and in leading cases, including landmark appeals. He has appeared for the successful parties in all three security of payment (statutory adjudication) cases determined by the High Court of Australia. He has also appeared in over 40 appeals in construction and technology disputes, and numerous other appeals.
He has appeared in Singapore-seated international commercial arbitrations, and in proceedings in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (Financial Services Division). He has also given expert evidence on Australian commercial law in overseas court proceedings. He is a Registered Foreign Lawyer, Singapore International Commercial Court.
Michael also has experience and expertise in domestic commercial arbitrations and hearings before Court-appointed referees. He has been a member of a panel of a dispute board for a major infrastructure project in Queensland.
Publications
Michael is General Editor of the Building and Construction Law Journal, published by Thomson Reuters.
Experience
Michael is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Oxford University where he obtained the post-graduate degree of Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) with First Class Honours (ranking first in his year amongst overseas graduates).
Michael has been a Part-time Lecturer at the University of Sydney Law School and a guest lecturer in the Melbourne University Law School’s Masters Program in Construction Law.
He has undertaken the Executive Education Program on Mediating Disputes at Harvard Law School.