Michael Tselentis Kc was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray’s Inn in November 1995, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003. He was elected a Bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2008. He practices as a Barrister and Arbitrator in a broad commercial field which includes complex contractual disputes, insurance, shipping, commodities and international trade, mining and energy, engineering and construction, banking and professional negligence.

He is also an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa (admitted to practice in 1978 and appointed Senior Counsel in 1989), and practised at the Johannesburg Bar where he was a leading commercial silk, from 1978 to 2000. In 1993-1994 he was the Chairman of the Johannesburg Bar. He advises in London on all aspects of South African commercial, insurance, mining and construction law, and accepts appointments as an expert witness in South African law in Court proceedings and arbitrations.

He regularly accepts arbitration appointments in international commercial disputes. He is a Chartered Arbitrator (UK), and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa), and the Botswana Institute of Arbitrators. He is a member of the ICC (UK), the LCIA, ARIAS (UK) and a supporting member of the LMAA.

His panel memberships include the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Dubai International Arbitration Centre, Kuala Lumpur Regional Arbitration Centre, Chinese European Arbitrators’ Centre, Arbitration Foundation of South Africa, Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association, Vancouver International Arbitration Centre (VanIAC) , Mauritius Permanent Arbitration Court, Vancouver Maritime Arbitrators’ Association, the Piraeus Association for Maritime Arbitration, and the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration.

Lecturer in law at South African Universities, 1972-3, 1975
Advocate of the SA High Court, 1978
Senior Counsel, South Africa, 1989
Acting Judge, SA High Court, 1992
SA Rules Board for Courts of Law, 1989-1992
Johannesburg Bar Council, 1991-1995; Chairman, 1993-4
SA Bar Examination Board 1992-4
Called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray’s Inn, 1995
Queen’s Counsel, 2003
Bencher of Grays Inn, 2008
Chartered Arbitrator, 2008

University of Cape Town, BA (distinction), LLB (first class honours), 1971
Rhodes Scholar, 1973
Magdalen College, Oxford University, BCL (first class), 1975