Clifford Chance
Michael has 20+ years of experience in litigation and arbitration, covering a wide range of commercial disputes.
He represents clients in regulatory-based litigations, in particular antitrust and data litigation. Michael is recognized as leading practitioner in cartel follow-on or market dominance damages disputes.
Michael has particular experience in international engineering, energy, construction disputes, as well as considerable experience of joint venture and shareholder disputes. He has handled arbitration cases under DIS, ICC, Swiss, UNCITRAL and other international rules. Michael is an experienced trial advocate, having appeared as lead counsel before numerous international arbitral tribunals, and also sits as an arbitrator.
His experience includes advising:
- a German/U.S. online media group enforcing market abuse damage claims against Google in connection with "EU Commission EUR 2,4 billion shopping antitrust ruling"
- a Japanese electronics company in defence against information exchange-based damage claims in connection with EU Commission "capacitors" decision
- an airline in defence against EUR 3 billion follow-on damage claim by Barnsdale in connection with the worldwide "air cargo cartel"
- a steel manufacturer defending against EUR 800 million follow-on damage claim by Deutsche Bahn in connection with the German "rail-track cartel"
- a German cash&carry group in parallel arbitrations enforcing price adjustment claims following sale of EUR multi-billion property portfolio
- a leading German biotechnology company in DIS arbitration proceedings over enforcement of indemnification claims in the amount of approx. EUR 1 billion against an international competitor following M&A transaction
- an international pharmaceutical company in connection with the EPCM contract negotiation and contract/claim management for a EUR 400 million pharma production facility
- a German energy company in parallel litigations over compensation and delay-related claims in connection with the engineering and delivery of transformer platforms for German offshore wind parks
- a German chemicals company in connection with the negotiation of FEED and EPC contract for chemical plant in Malaysia as well as for the negotiation of EPC Contracts for two ethylene oxide/glycols plants in Germany and the U.S.
- an employer under an EPC contract for the construction of a EUR 700 million pulp mill project in 16 parallel DIS arbitrations over delay penalty and warranty claims
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Düsseldorf
- +1 713 821 2832
- Email me
- Speaks German and English
- Practice area Litigation, dispute resolution & risk management, Construction
- Sector Healthcare, life sciences & chemicals, Power & energy networks, Real estate, Oil & gas, Capital goods, Mining & metals, Materials
Career and qualifications
- Universities of Bonn, Bochum and Bratislava (Dr. jur.) 1999
- Tulane University, School of Law, New Orleans (LL.M.) 2002
- Admitted as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany 2002
- Joined Clifford Chance 2002
- Admitted to the Courts of Appeals in 2007
- Partner since 2010
- Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Germany since 2017
- Consultant in Houston since 2023
Professional bodies
- Member of the German-American Lawyers Association
- Member of the German Institute for Arbitration e.V. (DIS)
- Member of the Chinese European Lawyers Association (CELA)
Awards and citations
- Often recommended - "incredibly good lawyer"
JUVE 2022 - Dispute Resolution - "pragmatic and solution-oriented"
Chambers Europe 2022 - Dispute Resolution