Michael Dobias is a senior litigation partner and a member of the reinsurance, accountancy and professional indemnity and directors' & officers' group.  He deals with arbitration, general commercial litigation, financial institutions, professional indemnity, insurance and reinsurance, both domestic and foreign.  He has been involved in several landmark decisions in reinsurance law.  Michael has been involved in a number of high-profile cases involving the Lloyd’s Reconstruction and Renewal Plan, and actions against accountants.

Throughout his professional career, now in excess of 25 years, Michael has represented insurers and reinsurers, domestic and international, Lloyd’s syndicates as well as the company market, and acted on behalf of professional firms.  He has been involved in a number of high-profile matters including the following:-

(i)            defending a major firm of accountants following the liquidation of a Plc in the early 1990's
(ii)            a number of complex insurance / reinsurance matters including the LMX Spiral, the PA LMX Spiral, World Trade Centre, and the Film Finance litigation (iii)            representation of syndicates, managing agents and accountants in litigation / arbitration arising from the problems at Lloyd's in the 1980s and 1990s(iv)            representation of cedants and reinsurers in litigation or arbitration arising from facultative and treaty reinsurance and retrocession contracts

Michael's approach to litigation / arbitration, which has been commended by clients, emphasises a commercial and pragmatic approach to disputes, with a view to where appropriate securing an early commercial resolution of the dispute before substantial costs are incurred. 

Michael is a member of the International Association of Defence Counsel and London Solicitors Litigation Association.  He has lectured on professional indemnity and has written numerous articles on the subject.  He has presented on a number of reinsurance issues as well as methods of dispute resolution, in particular mediation and early neutral evaluation.  He is a trained mediator.