Michael Farchakh

Michael is a Senior Associate in Hadef & Partners’ Dispute Resolution practice. He has nearly a decade of disputes experience having previously worked at a number of regional and international law firms in Paris, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

He is triple-qualified as a New York Attorney, Beirut Lawyer and England & Wales Solicitor, as well as being admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar and to the Register of Practitioners of the DIFC Courts.

Michael has acted for sovereign, corporate and individual clients in over forty arbitrations across the EMEA region, both ad hoc and institutional, under the rules of the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, DIAC, ADCCAC and UNCITRAL.

He regularly advises on issues of public law, construction law, foreign direct investment, commercial agency and shareholder disputes. He also has significant experience handling litigation and mediation proceedings including the recognition, enforcement and annulment of arbitral awards and foreign judgments in the UAE.

Michael holds an LL.B. from the Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth and graduate degrees from the Washington University School of Law, the Sorbonne School of Law and the University of Paris East. He is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

He is currently serving as Middle East Representative for the LCIA-YIAG and has previously served as assistant editor on the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, and Group Advisor in the Young ICCA Mentoring Program.

Admissions

• Beirut Bar Association
• New York State Bar
• United States Supreme Court Bar
• Solicitor, England & Wales

• Representing a major Middle-Eastern contractor in an ADCCAC Arbitration arising out of the construction of a mega project in Abu Dhabi involving complex issues of UAE law.
• Acting for a major insurance company in a DIAC arbitration arising out of performance guarantees issued in connection with a construction project in Abu Dhabi.
• Acting for a developer in an Ad Hoc Sharjah-seated arbitration commenced by a contractor in relation to the conversion of a mall into a hospital.
• Representing a ship-owner against a charterer in a DIAC arbitration arising out of a Charter Party Agreement 
• Advising Drake & Scull International PJSC in a first of its kind restructuring under the Emergency Restructuring Procedures introduced in the wake of financial instability caused by the 2020 pandemic.
• Representing a Middle-Eastern Contractor in mediation proceedings against a National Oil Company in relation to the improper termination of a services and maintenance contract.
• Advising a major Asian telecommunication company on Abu Dhabi court proceedings against a local sub-contractor in the UAE.
• Advising a North American technology company on the successful termination of its local agents in the UAE by way of proceedings before the UAE Ministry of Economy. 
• Advising a Middle-Eastern Government on the potential commencement of interstate arbitration against a South Asian state under the terms of a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
• Representing a group of expropriated Arab investors in an Arbitration against a North African State arising out of the OIC Investment Treaty.
• Acting for a Lebanese MEP consultant in an ICC arbitration against a Turkish principal consultant arising out of the non-payment of fees relating to the design of an entertainment venue in Qatar.
• Conducting an investigation into an African Client’s business operations in the Middle-East in relation to accusations of terrorism financing by the U.S. Department of Justice.