Michael O’Connell is a commercial litigator with a wide range of experience, including, trust, contractual and commercial disputes including professional negligence. Michael has appeared in countless trials, both civil and criminal. For twenty years he was a Crown Advocate appointed to prosecute criminal matters on behalf of the Attorney-General.
The leading directories have variously described Michael as a “Notable Practitioner”, “by reputation he is right up amongst the top tier”, a “leader in his field, and as having a “great courtroom presence”.
He was called to the Jersey Bar in 1987 and made a partner in 1990 in the firm which became Appleby. He led the Dispute Resolution Department of its Jersey office for seven years and was the Global Managing Partner of the Appleby Group for nine years. He is a member of the Jersey Law Society, the Commercial Bar Association, the Association of Contentious Trust and Estate Practitioners, The International Bar Association and is a qualified advocacy trainer.
Some notable cases:
- Gamlestaden v Baltic Partners [2007] PC – appeared in the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council in successful application for a minority shareholder which developed the law in Jersey and in England and Wales drawing distinctions between relief available on winding-ups and the remedy available for unfair prejudice.
- appearing for a subsidiary of a UK PLC in relation to a shareholder dispute surrounding the ownership of the development rights to the Shard in London.
- appearing for a leading offshore bank at the trial of proceedings alleging breach of mandate and negligence on the fraudulent diversion of very substantial sums of money.
- advising a manager of an investment fund in relation to an inspection initiated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission under the Collective Investment Funds (Jersey) law coinciding with parallel investigations conducted by the Financial Services Authority in the UK.
- appeared for the defence of a gynaecologist charged with gross negligence manslaughter – the defendant was acquitted after a four week trial.
- appeared for the defence in Jersey’s first contested extradition case.
