“Michael Ward is a very fine litigator - dedicated to his clients and a clever tactician, he brings dynamism and creativity to the resolution of clients' disputes””
Legal 500 UK, 2024
About
Michael is a results driven and creative dispute resolution lawyer. He acts for corporates, entrepreneurs and the UK Government, often in business critical disputes. Playing a lead role in our Dispute Resolution team, Michael works to help clients arrive at the best solution to their litigation issue, minimising impact and maximising outcomes. He is supported by our extensive dispute resolution practice with a proven track record in the highest-profile cases and cross-border, multi-sector expertise.
He advises nationally and internationally on High Court, magistrates’ court and arbitration proceedings, specialising in business ownership disputes (involving shareholders, partners, LLP members and directors) as well as civil fraud and anti-corruption/proceeds of crime litigation.
- Unfair prejudice petitions & derivative claims
- Breach of director duties
- Breach of partnership obligations and LLP agreements
- Injunctions (Freezing Injunctions, UWOs, PFOs and AFOs)
- Asset tracing/recovery
- Civil recovery claims under POCA
Michael has published an overview of significant cases in one of his key specialist areas – shareholder disputes. If you are interested in reading more about this subject, please click here.
Michael is a member of Burges Salmon’s Strategic Board and previously sat on its Operations Board. He is Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion organisation Lawyers Who Care, which promotes access to the legal profession for care experienced individuals. He is also a trustee of the national disability charity Designability, which helps disabled people obtain greater independence.
Experience
- Advising the Defendants in a £150 million unfair prejudice claim and associated fraud proceedings relating to a pharmaceutical distribution company
- Advising the Petitioner in a £35 million unfair prejudice petition relating to a builders’ merchants business
- Representing the Defendant in a £15 million claim for breach of fiduciary duties, undue influence and fraud relating to a housing development
- Advising a private equity firm in relation to parallel unfair prejudice and fraud claims brought by various of the LLP’s members as the result of a corporate re-organisation
- Representing the Claimant Government agency in three separate civil recovery cases concerning portfolios of assets worth hundreds of millions of pounds linked to the so-called ‘Azerbaijani Laundromat’
- Advising the Claimant Government agency in multiple separate civil recovery cases obtaining Unexplained Wealth Orders, Property Freezing Orders and Account Freezing Orders against members of Organised Crime Groups and Politically Exposed Persons (including the high profile Hajiyeva litigation)
- Defending a Government agency in relation to a £250 million statutory compensation claim
Credentials
- Admitted as a solicitor: England & Wales (2007)
- Higher Rights of Audience