Fried Frank Expands International Dispute Resolution Capabilities With Addition of Prominent International Arbitration Lawyer Justin Michaelson

LONDON, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP announced today that Justin Michaelson has joined the Firm's international disputes group, resident in the London office. Mr. Michaelson brings extensive experience in handling high-value international arbitration and other multijurisdictional commercial disputes.

The addition of Mr. Michaelson is an important component of the Firm's strategy to expand its international disputes practice.

"Justin's expertise will further enhance the global reach of our leading dispute resolution platform, which continues to expand strategically in critical commercial markets across Europe, Asia and the US," said William McGuinness, Chair of Fried Frank's global litigation department.

Mr. Michaelson has appeared before many international commercial arbitral tribunals, both institutional and ad hoc, in disputes pertaining to a wide variety of sectors including oil and gas, real estate, software technology, metals, telecoms, private equity and major projects. He has advised on a broad range of issues, including disputes arising out of private equity start-ups and exits; shareholder disputes; manufacturer-distributor quality and service disputes; real estate and construction disputes. His global practice touches upon myriad jurisdictions, particularly the BRIC countries and developing economies. He regularly advises clients and colleagues on dispute-resolution clauses for all types of ADR. His practice also encompasses major Commercial Court litigation with an international component as demonstrated by his involvement in various high-profile reported cases in England, recent examples of which include the Supreme Court case of VTB v Nutritek & Others, and Nomihold v MTS Finance.   

"As complex commercial disputes become increasingly cross-border, London ranks among the world's most significant and busiest centers for high-stakes international disputes and arbitrations," said Nick Cherryman, Head of Fried Frank's European dispute resolution group. "Justin's previous experience as a barrister, his track record in successfully handling complex and significant arbitrations and his focus on Russian-related disputes will be a tremendous complement to our practice."

"Justin is widely regarded among the top international arbitration practitioners in the UK and Europe. He is a great addition to the team," said Elliot Polebaum, Head of Fried Frank's global International Arbitration practice group.

Mr. Michaelson was most recently head of the international arbitration group in London at SJ Berwin LLP. Prior to that, he was an attorney at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

"We are delighted to welcome Justin to Fried Frank. His depth of expertise will be a considerable asset to our UK, European and multinational clients," said Valerie Ford Jacob, Chairperson of Fried Frank. 

Mr. Michaelson is recognized by Legal 500 in International Arbitration, the Legal Experts Guide for International Arbitration, the Who's Who of Commercial Litigation and other recognized directories. He is a frequent speaker and prolific writer on international arbitration topics.

Mr. Michaelson received his Bar Vocational Diploma from Inns of Court School of Law in 1997 and his LLB from University of Leeds in 1996. Mr. Michaelson was admitted as a barrister in 1997 and a solicitor advocate in 2001.

About Fried Frank's International Arbitration Capabilities
Fried Frank's international arbitration practice operates on a global basis, with some of the most experienced lawyers practicing in the field today throughout our offices in the US, Europe and Asia. We represent multinational corporations, international organizations and sovereign entities in cases brought under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), as well as the London Court of International Arbitration, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, the Beijing Arbitration Commission, and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, among others.

About Fried Frank's International Dispute Resolution Capabilities
Fried Frank litigators in the US, Europe and Asia represent global corporations and financial institutions in their most challenging, complex and important matters. Our international disputes team acts for the world's leading corporations and financial institutions on a wide variety of disputes, including complex contract, joint venture, share purchase and shareholder agreements, financial services, insurance, bankruptcy, antitrust and competition, and real estate litigation. With offices in the world's leading financial centers, our practice is well positioned to handle both complex domestic and cross-border disputes, whether they involve litigation or international arbitration.

More information can be found at www.friedfrank.com.