Michelle advises on a wide range of complex commercial disputes. She has particular experience in high-value contract claims, professional negligence claims, and disputes arising out of administrations, liquidations and other corporate failures. Michelle also advises clients in relation to contentious insurance matters, misrepresentation and other tort claims, competition claims and regulatory investigations.
Michelle joined Gilbert Walker in 2024 after spending over four years practising complex commercial litigation at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP in London. She represented multi-national clients and significant listed entities in a wide range of disputes in the courts of England and Wales, and in the Cayman Islands. She also advised clients on strategy in respect of litigation spanning different jurisdictions.
Michelle has appeared in the New Zealand High Court and has substantial trial experience as an instructing solicitor in the courts of England and Wales. She has also represented clients in mediations and settlement meetings.
LLB (First Class Hons) / BA (Otago)
Admitted to the Bar in 2015
Acting for Phones 4U Ltd (in administration) on its claims against the UK’s largest mobile network operators (EE, O2, Vodafone) and their European parent companies arising from alleged cartel conduct, which caused Phones 4U to cease trading. This involved a 10-week trial on liability in the England and Wales High Court, and was one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases of 2022’ (England & Wales).
Acting for a manager of a Cayman Islands limited partnership in connection with its assumption of the management of a substantial private equity fund (with commitments of over USD 1.5bn), following the widespread fraud and subsequent collapse of the group that formerly managed the fund.
Acting for Carillion Plc (in liquidation, instructed by the UK’s Official Receiver), formerly one of the UK’s biggest construction companies, in relation to its £1.3bn claim in the England and Wales Commercial Court alleging negligence by its auditor in auditing the Carillion Group’s accounts.
Acting for a multi-national aircraft supplier in the England and Wales Technology and Construction Court in a complex contract dispute with a major airline.
Acting for a syndicate of international bondholders in the England and Wales Commercial Court in their multi-million pound claim for deceit against a Turkish construction company and its directors in connection with a failed financial restructuring.
Acting for IBM UK Ltd in a claim in the England and Wales Technology and Construction Court, in relation to an alleged breach of a licensing agreement and procurement of that breach by related defendant entities.
Acting for a major multinational corporation on a contentious insurance claim under a public and products liability policy.
