Michael McParland QC Joins 39 Essex Chambers

39 Essex Chambers is delighted to announce that leading commercial silk Michael McParland QC has today joined the set from Quadrant Chambers.

Michael has 35 years' experience practising in domestic and international civil and commercial litigation, arbitration and cross-border insolvency proceedings. He is recognised as a leading expert in cross-border disputes and acts for a broad range of UK and international clients, with his work spanning a wide-range of sectors including aviation, insurance, travel, shipping and commodities and sport.

Michael is licensed to practise as an Attorney-at-Law by the State Bar of California, and as a barrister in the British Virgin Islands. Michael is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has appeared in a range of tribunals including LMAA, LCIA, CAS, and the ICC. In addition to his work as counsel, Michael also acts as arbitrator.

Cited by the legal directories as a leading silk for Commercial Litigation, Aviation and Travel / International Personal Injury, Michael is described by the Legal 500 2018 as "… a fantastic litigator, a highly impressive advocate in court and really fights for the client", and by Chambers & Partners 2019 as "…very compassionate with clients and very empathetic, as well as being fast to turn work around and able to tackle complex issues with a lot of clarity and insight. He is also fantastic in trial."

Michael is the author of "The Rome I Regulation on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations" (Oxford University Press, 2015), a leading work on the conflict of laws that has been cited  by judges in the Commercial Court and by the Advocate-General in the European Court of Justice. He is also a regular legal commentator for Sky News, The BBC, and other TV and radio stations, something he has done since Sky News' coverage of the trial of Louise Woodward in 1997, for which he won The Daily Mail's television critic's "Star of the Year".

Michael says of his move "I am extremely pleased to be joining 39 Essex Chambers, a set which is a perfect fit for the range of work I do. I know a number of my new colleagues very well and I am excited to be continuing my practice from there".

39 Essex Chambers' Chief Executive and Director of Clerking, Lindsay Scott, says: "We are delighted that Michael has joined Chambers. He comes with an excellent reputation and his vast experience, across a breadth of Chambers' practice areas, will be a great asset to our domestic and international offering."