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Michael Valo

Partner

Bio

Michael specializes in international construction arbitration, and has experience working for owners, contractors, and engineers. His work focuses on large scale infrastructure projects including pipelines, power generation and transmission, refineries, tunneling, mining and hospitals. Michael’s international arbitration experience includes disputes under ICC and UNCITRAL rules, as well as ad hoc rules. Michael has also advised clients in respect of disputes before project Dispute Resolution Boards.

Michael’s dispute practice relates to all manner of project delivery methods including design-build, design-bid-build, EPC and EPCM contracts, as well as Public Private Partnerships (P3). Michael has extensive experience with claims for disruption, delay and prolongation, designer negligence, and construction deficiencies.

Michael recently co-authored “Beyond Fraud: Rethinking The Autonomy Of Letters Of Credit In Canada”, [2020] I.C.L.R. 72 and is the co-author of a chapter in "Review of Construction Law: Recent Developments" (Toronto: Carswell, 2012) on the subject of Building Information Modeling. Michael is also a regular contributor to the Construction Law Letter (LexisNexis), and is a co-editor of the IBA’s Construction Law International. 

Michael was named as a Leading Lawyer to Watch in the 2019 Lexpert Directory. 

Memberships

  • Society of Construction Law, North America (Founding Member)
  • American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law
  • International Bar Association
  • ICC Young Arbitrators Forum
  • Ontario Bar Association, Construction Law Section

Representative Work

  • Ad hoc arbitration related to engineering deficiencies for a cross border crude oil pipeline project.
  • ICC arbitration related to an EPC Contract for a coal fired power plant in Africa.
  • ICC arbitration related to an ore slurry pipeline in Africa.
  • ICC arbitration related to an ore processing plant in Africa.
  • UNCITRAL arbitration related to a gas processing facility in northern British Columbia.
  • Ad hoc arbitration related to a nickel hydrometallurgical processing facility.
  • Various disputes related to a light rail tunneling project.
  • Ad hoc arbitration related to a P3 contract for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of a series of highway service centres.
  • Represented subcontractor in a claim for time and money related to a trackwork installation for a light rail transit project.

Representative Publications

Education & Admissions