Director - Blackburne Consultancy Limited (2022 - Date)

Solicitor Partner - DAC Beachcroft (2010 – 2022)

Solicitor Partner - Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (2003 – 2010)

Solicitor Partner - Addleshaw Goddard (2000 – 2003)

Solicitor Partner - Berwin Leighton (1984 – 2000)

LLB (Hons)

Listed on Legal 500 as Expert in Construction

TECSA and UKA accredited adjudicator

Member of SCL

• £10m award waste to energy project.

• Specific Performance waste to energy project.

• JCT Contract – issues as to rates, ground conditions etc.

• PFI / PPP dispute as to rates.

• Award in excess of £1.5m in respect of Hotel and Retail Development in the West End of London.

• An award of multi-million pounds relating to an explosion on site.

• Award in relation to design and construction of multiple lifts.

• Various PFI related disputes

Resolution of several construction and engineering disputes

Michael has specialised in adjudication, domestic and international litigation and arbitration in the construction, engineering and infrastructure, energy and natural resources, transport and professional negligence sectors for over 40 years.

Throughout his career he has handled many high profile, high value, complex and difficult matters representing a huge variety of suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, employers, their professional advisers and insurers.

He was one of the supporting authors of the SCL's "Protocol on Delay and Disruption”.

He has been recognised for many years by the legal directories including The Legal 500, as a leader in the field of Construction and praised in (Construction) 2015 for his "incisive advice and common sense attitude". He is also recognised as "excellent" on construction related professional indemnity matters (2015).

He regularly acts as an adjudicator or mediator.

Michael has successfully represented a large number of employers, governmental and quasi-governmental organisations, developers, national and international contractors, sub-contractors, consultants and their insurers on many cases, both domestic and international, concerning numerous types of building and civil engineering projects.

(a) Transport and Energy

• Acting for several contractors and sub-contractors in disputes relating to Crossrail

• Various shipbuilding disputes including acting for Cunard on the re-engineering of the QE2

• Lead Partner on various major road & rail disputes including a motorway in Portugal

• Acting for contractors in disputes related to terminals including bus stations, railways and airports

(b) Commercial Buildings

• Developers in connection with a contractor’s claim for loss and/or expense and extensions of time arising out of the contract for £200m residential scheme in London

• Numerous disputes between contractors and sub-contractors including £10m defects and EOT claims

• Various disputes acting for Central and Local Government

(c) Car Parks

• Acted for all parties in disputes relating to car parks and acted on a £40m claim against the designers of a car park

(d) Sports Facilities

• A Sub-Contractor in a dispute about the “iconic” steelwork for a Premier League Football Stadium

• Acting as adjudicator in relation to a dispute over reclamation works

(e) Mining

• A mining contractor in connection with volume, productivity, price disputes arising out of tin mining

An important part of Michael's work is advising in relation to practical problems arising out of contracts of all kinds including bespoke contracts and the principal standard form engineering and building contracts including, FIDIC, ICE, I Mech E, I Chem. E, JCT, NEC 3, RIBA and ACE and Government forms of contract.

Michael is a popular speaker and writer on relevant subjects. Recent Papers and Articles include: Contributor to: "Insurance Law for the Construction Industry" edited by Robert Hogarth