Michael Tselentis KC > Twenty Essex > London, England > Barrister Profile
Twenty Essex Offices
20 ESSEX STREET
LONDON
WC2R 3AL
England
- Set Profile
- Go to...
Michael Tselentis KC
Work Department
Arbitration and mediation; Commercial law; Energy and natural resources; Insurance and reinsurance; Private international law; Shipping
Position
Michael Tselentis KC’s practice as an international arbitrator covers a wide field, which includes energy and natural resources (principally oil and gas, mining and minerals and power sale agreements), shipping and commodities, commercial disputes (including agency, distribution/franchising, joint ventures, shareholder agreements and contractual disputes generally), investment arbitration (with a focus on mining disputes in Africa), telecommunications, insurance, infrastructure, construction and engineering.
He has been a full-time arbitrator since 2015 when he retired from advocacy work in order to concentrate on his international arbitration practice. During a 36-year career as an advocate (1978-2015), he appeared as leading counsel in many cases in these areas before trial and appellate courts and arbitral tribunals, including a number of high-value international arbitrations in London, Paris and Singapore. Details of his advocacy and advisory work in this period appear in the “Advocacy and Advisory Career” link below.
Before Michael relocated his practice to London in 1996, he was a leading commercial Silk at the Johannesburg Bar, with a specialisation in mining law, and held general retainers from the Anglo American and De Beers groups of companies. He was appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1992, and was the Chairman of the Johannesburg Bar in 1993/1994.
Michael has been appointed in approximately 140 references as presiding arbitrator, tribunal member and sole arbitrator, principally (though by no means exclusively) in ICC, LCIA, PCA, SIAC, LMAA, HKIAC and ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL rules. Much of his arbitration work has an Asian or African focus. Arbitral seats have included London, Paris, Geneva, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, DIFC, Lagos, Cyprus, Dar Es Salaam, Jakarta, Johannesburg and Mauritius. His appointments have involved a wide variety of governing laws, including the laws of England, France, Spain, Singapore, the Netherlands, Western Australia, Indonesia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Angola, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Malaysia and international law.
His common law expertise is complemented by a wide experience of civil law systems, including South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Thailand, Romania, Finland, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
https://www.twentyessex.com/people/michael-tselentis/
Languages
Afrikaans (fluent)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators
(Leading arbitrators)Ranked: Tier 2Michael Tselentis KC –Twenty Essex ‘Thoroughness, competence, care and diligence.’
Twenty Essex is widely regarded as ‘one of the pre-eminent international arbitration sets’ which houses an ‘excellent set of arbitrators’. Members of the set sit as arbitrators in disputes spanning banking, oil and gas, shipping and trade, construction and share purchase. Michael Tselentis KC is often appointed on disputes in Asia or Africa, while Michael Lee is particularly active on Asia and Europe-based disputes, and members of the set have an excellent reputation for their expertise in arbitrations in various seats across the globe adhering to the full spectrum of arbitration rules. Bernard Rix continues to be a pre-eminent name in the space, and Clare Ambrose is noted for her expertise in shipping and commercial arbitration; both are among the set’s full-time arbitrators. Audley Sheppard KC – former co-head of international arbitration at Clifford Chance LLP and a solicitor-advocate KC – joined the set in June 2024.