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Michael Davar
Associate
Michael Davar is a UK-qualified lawyer and an associate specialising in international dispute resolution and litigation in our London office. Michael advises on a range of complex multijurisdictional commercial disputes for various clients, including ship owners, charterers, offshore contractors, oil and gas operators, brokers, traders, cargo owners, shipbuilders, banks, private equity, information technology companies and high-net-worth individuals in arbitration, litigation and mediation in London, Singapore and Australia.
Prior to entering the legal industry, Michael worked as an FX and Fixed Income Trader at a hedge fund. He holds degrees in law and economic history and speaks several languages, including Russian and Georgian.
Michael trained at an international law firm recognised as top tier by The Legal 500 UK. During this time, Michael was noted as “bright, dedicated and hard-working”, and his “sense of initiative and his commercial appreciation of problems” were highlighted as impressive. He has authored numerous articles, including “Is positional loss recoverable?”, published in the Shipping and Trade Law Journal; “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: A Litigator’s Perspective”, published in Sweet & Maxwell’s International Energy Law Review; and is co-author of the specialist legal volumes “Oil & Gas Decommissioning Law, Policy and Comparative Practice” Second Edition, 2016, published by Globe Law and Business and “International Commercial Arbitration Practice: 21st Century Perspectives”, 2016, published by Lexis Nexis.
Energy
- Singapore SIAC arbitration defending an oil and gas operator from claims arising out of the repudiation of an offshore drilling contract.
- UNCITRAL arbitration defending oil and gas joint operating party from cash call claims and counterclaiming against operator for mismanagement of oil and gas block.
- Singapore SIAC arbitration involving claims arising from an integrated telecommunication package on a central processing facility and FPSO.
- ICC arbitration acting for offshore oil and gas contractor in contesting issues arising from ICC partial awards.
- Australian High Court claim arising from an oil and gas operator’s renunciation of a long-term offshore drilling contract.
- Acting for offshore oil and gas contractor in the challenge of an ICC Arbitration Award for Third Party Litigation Funding in the London, High Court of England and Wales, which set the first English legal precedent for the recovery of third party litigation funding under the English Arbitration Act 1996.
Shipping
- Arbitration under LMAA terms defending a Norwegian ship owner concerning an offshore AHTS purchase option dispute.
- Singapore SIAC arbitration defending ship owners on numerous competing bunker supply claims from bunker traders and physical suppliers.
- Arbitration under LMAA terms defending charterers against a claim for hire arising from allegations of overconsumption and underperformance.
- Arbitration under LMAA terms acting for disponent owners in the recovery of hire and claims by charterers for breach of performance warranty.
- Arbitration under LMAA terms defending charterers against a high-value and complex demurrage claim involving issues of force majeure.
- London High Court Claim regarding a dispute with owners arising from a vessel’s collision with a quay in Liberia during the provision of dredging services under a technical services agreement in support of the development and maintenance of port infrastructure.
International Trade
- GAFTA arbitration acting for wheat trader in claims arising from the breach of description and quality terms under an International Contract of Sale.
- London High Court proceedings defending purchaser in claims arising from the sale and supply for cyclohexane in bulk.
- GAFTA arbitration appeal against award in favour of buyers for numerous soybean sale and purchase agreements.
- Acting for an iron and steel conglomerate in a dispute arising from contracts of affreightment and agency agreements for the carriage and sale of iron ore.
- Acting for international chemical conglomerate regarding the review and negotiation of various contracts of affreightment.
Fraud, Private Equity, Private Client and General Commercial Matters
- London High Court Claim acting for international bank against numerous fraudsters over various jurisdictions, including the UAE, Singapore, Canada and Bangladesh.
- Acting for a high-net-worth individual in a complex claim for high value shares in a family business involving the intricate factual analysis of personal agreements, business developments and company growth and multifaceted legal issues involving numerous jurisdictions, contractual claims, fiduciary relationships, unjust enrichment and claims for constructive and proprietary trusts.
- London High Court Norwich Pharmacal proceedings acting for international bank against foreign bank located in the UAE.
- Singapore SIAC arbitration acting for international football marketing agency arising from the sale and purchase of premier league football digital advertising space.
- London High Court brokerage dispute acting for a private equity-owned insurance broker against an insurance underwriter and a high-net-worth individual.
- London High Court professional negligence and legal cost recovery dispute acting for a ship owner in claim against prior legal advisors.
- London High Court intellectual property dispute acting for private equity-owned insurance broker and insurance underwriter.
- London Mediation and High Court warranty claim acting for high-net-worth individual against superyacht builder.
- London High Court professional negligence claim acting for private equity-owned insurance broker and its CASS auditors.
Education
- Kaplan Law School, L.P.C.
- The College of Law, Graduate Diploma in Law
- London School of Economics, B.Sc.
Admissions
- England and Wales, 2014
Languages
- English
- Russian
- Georgian
- Presenter, “Practical Lessons and Pitfalls in Charterparty Disputes,” Reliance Industries Limited, West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A., London, 24 March 2017.
- Co-author, “International Arbitration – Shipping and Maritime: Outside Counsel Perspective,” International Commercial Arbitration Practice: 21st Century Perspectives, Lexis Nexis, 2016.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: Decommissioning Security Disputes,” International Energy Law Review, September 2016.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning Disputes in the UK Continental Shelf,” Oil and Gas Decommissioning: Law, Policy and Comparative Practice, Global Law & Business, ed. 2, 2016.
- Presenter, “Decommissioning Security Disputes,” “Decommissioning – the D Word – A Problem or a Big Opportunity?” The Geological Society, London, June 7, 2016.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: Net Costs and Net Value Disputes,” Oil Voice, June 2016.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: Decommissioning Security Disputes,” Platform-OilandGas Journal, February 2016.
- Author, “The Supreme Court Re-Frames the Modern Law of Implied Terms,” Shipping and Trade Law Journal, December 2015.
- Co-author, “Is Positional Loss Recoverable,” Shipping and Trade Law Journal, October 2015.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: A Litigator’s Perspective,” Sweet & Maxwell, International Energy Law Review, September 2015.
- Co-author, “GAFTA Seller’s Truly ‘Golden Victory’: Supreme Court Reduces Damages from US$3 Million to US$5,” Lexology, August 2015.
- Co-author, “Decommissioning in the UK Continental Shelf: Delay Disputes,” Oil & Gas Monitor, July 2015.
- Author, “The Supreme Court Adopts a Literal Approach: Arnold v Britton and others [2015] UKCS 36,” Shipping and Trade Law Journal, July 2015.