Margarita Nikki Michael is a solicitor-advocate with full rights of audience before the English courts. Her extensive practice includes cross-border dispute resolution, particularly international arbitration and High Court litigation. Margarita is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator.
Margarita acts for a diverse range of prominent clients including governments, international organisations, and private clients and often acts as lead counsel on matters.
She has both written and spoken about international arbitration and English civil litigation at various fora, and is the author of several publications focused primarily on state immunity, enforcement of arbitral awards and public international law.
Through her representation and advice to clients in complex international commercial arbitrations, Margarita is well accustomed to all leading arbitral rules such as ICC, LCIA and VIAC as well as in ad hoc proceedings. One of her most notable experiences is her work on one of Europe’s largest gas price review arbitrations completed with the support of the ICC.
Margarita also advises on white-collar criminal defence litigation and corporate internal investigations, as well as on sanctions and corporate compliance programmes.
She is a member of the ICC, LCIA and YIAG.
Margarita’s performance and ability has been exemplary. She stands out as a client-focused lawyer, who is both sharp in case strategy, effective in communicating, and focused always on producing good outcomes for me as a client.
Managing Partner
Greensphere Capital LLPMargarita is a super intelligent and amazingly creative thinker who is able to find out-of-the-box solutions other lawyers cannot – and then perform them with surprising ease. She fully invests herself in every case she handles, an extremely rare quality of “living” the client's case that most other lawyers lack. Margarita's combination of talent, technical knowledge, experience and dedication to clients is truly unmatched. It was a great pleasure to work with her on a difficult multinational case, in the outcome of which she delivered an absolutely stunning result that was beyond everyone’s most optimistic expectations.
Managing Partner
Litigation Support Services LLC
Expertise
- Advocacy
- Civil litigation
- International arbitration
- Mediation
- White-collar crime
Experience
International Arbitration
- Acted as one of a two-member counsel team in an LMAA arbitration on behalf of Exportadora de Sal S.A. de C.V., a partially state-owned entity Mexican salt mining corporation, against Corretaje Sud-Americano Inc, with a value of over US$33 million.
- Represented a Latin American state in a HKIAC arbitration concerning disputes arising out of the purchase of a ship by the navy from a PRC shipbuilding yard.
- As part of a three-person team advised on one of Europe’s highest-value gas price review arbitrations under the auspices of the ICC.
- Advised a South Korean multinational conglomerate in an ICC arbitration seated in California regarding alleged breaches of registered patents.
- Acted for a major global technology company in ICC arbitration proceedings seated in Tokyo against another well-known global technology company.
- Represented a Latin American state in PRC law claim against a Chinese bank concerning disputes under a performance guarantee.
- Acted for one of the world’s largest online gaming software providers in a high-value dispute with three of its licensees, resulting in four consolidated arbitrations conducted under the WIPO Expedited Arbitration Rules.
Civil Litigation
- As part of a two-member team advised on the interpretation of a teaming agreement in relation to a UK public authority tender for management and development of energy sites with a value of US$8 billion.
- Acted for Asiana Airlines in defending proceedings in the High Court arising from claims by more than 600 companies for damages in excess of £1 billion alleged to have resulted from competition law infringements relating to air cargo services.
- Acted for Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd, the world’s largest producer of silicon solar power units, in a €500 million cross-border fraud case involving proceedings in the Commercial Court in London, the High Court of Singapore and several other jurisdictions.
- Acted for the majority shareholder of the leading digital media company in Eastern Europe, in relation to a disputed put option served by the minority shareholders.
- Represented and advised Greensphere Capital in defending an unfair prejudice claim arising out of an investment in an anaerobic digestion plant with a value of £50 million, including acting as counsel (advocate) in an application in the Companies Court for interim payment on account of costs.
Investigations and Regulatory
UKBA
- Advised several multinational corporations in respect of their obligations under the UK Bribery Act 2010 (the “UKBA”).
- Advised a multinational financial services corporation on the structure of its global corporate hospitality policy and packages in light of the UKBA.
POCA
- Advised an interdealer broking house in relation to a request from a foreign fiscal authority under the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003.
- Advised a private equity fund in relation to its reporting obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in connection with the suspected insider dealing.
Economic Sanctions
- Advised a corporate client on compliance with European Union and United Kingdom economic sanctions concerning Iran.
- Advised a client in the oil and gas sector on compliance with European Union and United Kingdom economic sanctions concerning Russia.
Africa
- Advised an African mobile telecommunications company in licence disputes in Iran, ATS claims in the USA, and a highly publicised investigation in its home jurisdiction.
- Advised several multinational corporations in the oil and gas sector on the territorial scope and effect of European Union economic sanctions concerning Iran, Libya and Syria.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Margarita is an active speaker and has featured at many high-profile conferences including the CDR Arbitration Symposium, the AIJA 8th Annual Arbitration Conference (New York), the ICC YAF Roundtable, and at Gonville & Cauis College, Cambridge. She has also written for publications including The European and Middle Eastern Arbitration Review, The International Arbitration Law Review, Law360, and Corporate Disputes Magazine.
Career
Margarita qualified as a solicitor in 2011. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2020, she worked at the following firms:
- O’Melveny & Myers
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer