Paris
Michael Bühler, with over 30 years of experience as a practicing lawyer, focuses on international dispute resolution in complex arbitrations. He has represented major corporations, state-owned entities and governments in more than 250 arbitrations and has acted as chairman, sole arbitrator, and party-appointed arbitrator in more than 80 arbitrations worldwide.
Michael assists in clients in pre-litigation situations, helping them to develop a true defense strategy, which often leads to early dispute settlements. He acts regularly as lead counsel in arbitrations under the ICC Rules and those of the arbitration associations of Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States and under the UNCITRAL Rules, ICSID, WIPO (Geneva), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne). He conducts arbitrations throughout Europe, Africa, North America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region in the following fields: civil construction, engineering, supply of industrial equipment, and industrial or power plants (often involving the application of the FIDIC Conditions of Contract, in common, civil, and Islamic law); oil and gas projects; hotel development projects and hotel management contracts; and distribution and license agreements in various sectors, including the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, liquor, and luxury goods industries.
Michael started his career as counsel at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, of which he was the German member (1997-2009). He was co-chair of the Task Force of the ICC Commission on Arbitration on the Revision of the ICC Arbitration Rules (2008-2011) (which led to the adoption of the 2012 ICC Rules of Arbitration) and is a member of the ICC Commission on International Arbitration and the IBA, as well as numerous arbitral institutions such as CEPANI, DIS, ASA and DIAC. Michael advised the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa, OHADA (Yaoundé), in reforming its arbitration act and the CCJA Arbitration Rules and creating a mediation act. He is also co-author of the Handbook of ICC Arbitration (Thomson, Sweet & Maxwell, 5th edition 2021).