Practice areas
- Sovereign debt
- Cross-border litigation
- Enforcement
- Asset tracing & recovery
- Evidentiary proceedings
Michaël Schlesinger’s practice focuses on complex cross-border disputes.
Michaël Schlesinger’s practice focuses on complex cross-border disputes and enforcement of foreign judgments, in particular involving Sovereigns or in the context of fraud. He has extensive experience in civil procedure, international law (public and private) and recovery procedures. He works in French, English and Spanish. He is a member of the Paris bar since 2012.
Previously, Michaël clerked at the Versailles Court of Appeal. He also trained with an international firm and a third-party funder. He graduated in Private International Law and International Business Law (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Private Law (University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas). He also studied at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom).
Recent projects
Coordinating enforcement efforts worldwide
Restitution of funds placed with Lebanese banks
Attachments of Sovereign assets (aircraft, tax claims, real estate, commercial leases…)
Recovery proceedings against former executives of foreign banks subject to bankruptcy proceedings
Challenges against the validity of a Liechtenstein trust
Securing loans over aircraft spare-parts
Annulment proceedings against arbitral awards
Resisting recognition in France of sanctions ordered by foreign securities commission
Payment of distressed Sovereign bonds
Conferences & publications
Conducting proceedings before the French enforcement judge (Paris Bar association, Paris, 2024)
Strategies and Stumbling Blocks in Sovereign Asset Recovery (ICC Spain & ICC FraudNet joint seminar, Madrid, 2024)
Interplay between Arbitration and State Justice – enforcement and set aside proceedings (Paris Arbitration & Crime Conference, Basel Institute on Governance, Paris, 2024)
Enforcing arbitral awards against Sovereigns – asset tracing (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, 2024)
Enforcing against Sovereigns has not become a highway to hell (Arb-40 Symposium, Lisbon, 2023)
Tactics and strategies used by Sovereigns to delay or evade enforcement (TL4 Disputes, London, 2023)
Enforcement of foreign judgments – France chapter (International Comparative Legal Guide, 2017-2024)
Professional affiliations
Association des Avocats praticiens des Procédures d’Exécution (AAPPE)
International Bar Association
Comité français de l’arbitrage