“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 acting for corporates, entrepreneurs and Government often in organisation critical disputes. Playing a lead role in our Dispute Resolution team, he works to help clients arrive at the right 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 both nationally and internationally on High Court, Magistrates Court and arbitration proceedings, specialising in shareholder, partnership and LLP disputes as well as civil fraud and proceeds of crime litigation, and has specialist expertise in:
- Unfair prejudice petitions & derivative claims
- Breach of director duties
- Breach of partnership obligations and LLP agreements
- Injunctions (Freezing orders, Property Freezing Orders, Account Freezing Orders)
- Asset tracing/recovery
Michael has published an overview of significant cases in one of his key specialist areas – shareholder disputes.
He sits on Burges Salmon’s Executive Committee which has oversight of the firm’s operational activity. 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 £10 million claim for breach of fiduciary duties, undue influence and fraud relating to a housing development.
- Advising an LLP private equity firm in relation to unfair prejudice and fraud claims brought by various of the LLP’s members as the result of a corporate re-organisation.
- Advising an entrepreneur in a £10 million misrepresentation claim against a minority shareholder and senior executive in a large private healthcare business.
- Advising a Swiss private office in ICC arbitration proceedings relating to the breakdown of a property joint venture with a Lebanese family (including acting as sole advocate in an application for Emergency Measures).
Credentials
- Admitted as a solicitor: England & Wales (2007)