Mikhail is a seasoned litigation lawyer and arbitrator with more than 20 years of experience in civil, commercial litigation, and arbitration. He has extensive expertise in trial advocacy, pleadings, appellate practice, and enforcement proceedings, with a proven record of success in high-stakes disputes and complex cross-border cases.

He previously served as Head of Litigation at Moscow Industrial Bank, where he managed and mentored a team of over 40 in-house lawyers and achieved favorable outcomes in multi-billion-ruble disputes before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Earlier in his career, he represented leading international clients—including BASF, METRO Cash & Carry, and UBS Switzerland AG—in Russian courts. His notable cases include:

- RTK v. Sony Ericsson (Case No. 1831/12): Represented RTK before the Supreme Arbitrazh Court in a precedent-setting case on the enforceability of unilateral arbitration clauses, which has since become a cornerstone of Russian arbitration law.

- Defended a major bank before the Supreme Court in multiple lawsuits concerning employee misconduct, with claims exceeding RUB 1.5–2 billion.

- Represented a bank before the Supreme Court in a complex dispute with a municipality, securing repayment of debts under a loan agreement involving escheated property.

- Acted as counsel for Swiss-based companies in appellate litigation on piercing the corporate veil, with claims exceeding RUB 87 billion.

- Secured inclusion of RUB 7.5 billion in a bank’s claims during appellate litigation concerning the creditors’ register.

- Successfully recovered RUB 198 billion in damages in litigation against a bank’s former beneficiaries.

- Represented a bank in cassation proceedings in a bankruptcy case challenging a transaction involving the transfer of real property—an ancient building in the city of Saint Petersburg—to the bank, valued at over RUB 1.4 billion.

- Represented a leading Swiss bank in high-value litigation involving two private aircraft before Russian courts.

Mikhail is also experienced in international arbitration, having acted as both counsel and presiding arbitrator under the TIAC Arbitration Rules (Tashkent). He also acted in ICC, ICSID AF, and ICAC at the RF CCI (MKAS) proceedings. Mikhail is listed as an arbitrator with the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre (TIAC).

Beyond practice, he contributes to international arbitration scholarship, including publications in the ICCA Yearbook on Commercial Arbitration and the IBA Arbitration Guide, and serves as Co-Head of the Russian Arbitration Association’s working group on court practice in arbitration.

Mikhail holds a Russian law degree and an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree—the Geneva LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS).

Fluent in Russian and English, with basic knowledge of French, Mikhail combines legal precision with strategic insight, bringing deep expertise to litigation and arbitration at both national and international levels.