Michael Crane QC
Call date
1975
Silk date
1994
Summary of Practice
All areas of commercial law, particularly aviation, insurance and reinsurance, international arbitration, banking and finance, professional negligence, private international and conflicts of law. Also has extensive experience in aviation and transport related public law and regulatory work.
Recommendations (Practitioners' Guides)
Recommended in the current edition of Chambers UK as a leader in commercial dispute resolution (commercial litigation), international arbitration, aviation, insurance and reinsurance and travel law and in the current edition of the Legal 500 as a leader in the fields of commercial litigation, international arbitration, product liability, aviation and insurance and reinsurance. Also listed in the current editions of Chambers Global, the Guide to the World’s Leading Aviation Lawyers and Legal Experts. Described as:
“A personable and non-stuffy barrister” “he has the dream combination of being very bright, very analytical and highly commercial” (Chambers UK, 2010 – Commercial Dispute Resolution)
“incredibly clever and very thorough with excellent judgment” (the Legal 500, 2007/8 – Commercial Litigation)
“An apparently effortlessly great all-round barrister” (Legal 500 2010/11 – International Arbitration)
“Brilliantly intelligent and very easy to work with” (Legal 500 2010/11 - Insurance & Reinsurance)
““Super-brainy but also a hard worker” solicitors noted that “he’s someone you can work closely with and who’ll grasp the detail”” (Chambers UK, 2008 – Insurance)
“Incredibly easy and delightful to work with but possesses a fantastic level of understanding behind the apparent ease” (Chambers UK 2010 – Insurance)
“Undoubtedly the leading barrister in aviation” (Chambers UK, 2009)
“when you want a silk in an aviation case, you think of him first” (Chambers UK, 2010)
“Technically excellent, personable, easy to work with and great on his feet” (Legal 500 2010/11 – Aviation)
Education
BA Jurisprudence, MA English Literature (Balliol College, Oxford)
Recent Practice
Michael has a challenging and diverse commercial litigation and international arbitration case load. His recent experience includes acting for:
- The regulatory authority and insurance market in connection with issues arising from the disruption of air traffic by volcanic ash;
- a law firm sued by an investment bank in connection with the structuring and documentation of a $2 billion CDO;
- for the Civil Aviation Authority in connection with changes to the design of controlled airspace over southern England;
- for various London, US and European insureds, insurers and reinsurers on a variety of major professional indemnity, D&O and product liability disputes and on a range of coverage and avoidance issues;
- for a major oil and gas exploration contractor in connection with a serious accident off the west coast of Africa;
- for the insured in an arbitration involving $3 billion worth of cover under a complex financial risk transfer programme;
- for an airport authority in connection with claims for breach of contract and abuse of a dominant market position.
Notable cases (concise list)
Reported cases include:
Durham Tees Valley Airport Ltd v bmibaby Ltd [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 68 (CA)
R (on the Application of the Association of British Travel Agents Ltd.) v Civil Aviation Authority [2007] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 249 (CA)
HSBC Rail (UK) Ltd v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (Formerly Railtrack plc) [2006] 1 WLR 643 (CA)
Amiri Flight Authority v BAE Systems Plc [2004] 1 A.E.R. (Comm) (CA)
European International Reinsurance Co. v Curzon Insurance [2003] Lloyds Rep. I.R. 793 (CA)
Cable & Wireless Plc v IBM United Kingdom Ltd [2002] 2 A.E.R. (Comm)
Agnew v Lansforsakringsbolagens AB [2001] 1 A.C. 223 (HL)
Western Digital Corp v British Airways Plc [2001] Q.B. 733 (CA)
R. (on the application of Jet Services Ltd) v Civil Aviation Authority [2001] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 769 (CA)
Clef Aquitane Sarl v Laporte Materials (Barrow) Ltd [2001] Q.B 488 (CA)
Deutsche Ruckversicherung AG v La Fondaria Assicurazioni SpA (formerly Societa Italia di Assicurazioni SpA) [2001] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 621
Hertfordshire Investments Ltd v Bubb [2000] W.L.R. 2318 (CA)
R. v Airport Coordination Ltd Ex p. Aravco Ltd [1999] Eu. L.R. 939 (CA)
R. v Airport Coordination Ltd Ex p. States of Guernsey Transport Board [1999] Eu. L.R. 745 (CA)
Airbus Industrie GIE v Patel [1999] 1 A.C. 119 (HL)
Martinez v Ellesse International SpA [1999] C.L.Y. 861 (CA)
Interallianz Finanz AG v Independent Insurance Co Ltd [1997] E.G.C.S. 91
Gunns v Par Insurance Brokers [1997] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 173
Milor Srl v British Airways Plc [1996] Q.B. 702 (CA)
Berriman v Rose Thomson Young (Underwriting) Ltd [1996] L.R.L.R. 426
DR Insurance Co v Central National Insurance Co of Omaha (In Rehabilitation) [1996] 1 Lloyds Rep. 74
Bates v Robert Barrow Ltd [1995] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 680
Simner v New India Assurance Co Ltd [1995] L.R.L.R. 240
Brown & Sword-Daniels v KMR Services Ltd & Ors. [1994] 4 All E.R. 385
Other
Has sat as an arbitrator both in the UK and abroad and as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Commercial Court. Has also given evidence in foreign courts as an expert on English law. Elected as a bencher of the Middle Temple – 2002.