Michelle Glassman Bock
Partner
Michelle Glassman Bock has more than 15 years of experience in international arbitration proceedings conducted under the auspices of leading arbitration institutions, as well as with ad hoc proceedings. She has particular expertise with natural gas and other energy disputes, having acted as counsel in more than 20 gas price reviews. She has acted for both European and Asian parties to long-term gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts, addressing all manner of issues arising under them. She is widely regarded as an expert advocate in the natural gas and LNG industry.
Michelle acts for parties in disputes involving LNG cargo shipping and delivery, hardship, underdeliveries, force majeure claims, annual programming, contested shortfalls and diversions, and delivery flexibility.
Chambers Global 2025 reports that Michelle “is very responsive and a talented oral advocate. She runs cases in an extremely organised way” and “knows our industry very well and produces excellent legal work which reflects that.” Who’s Who Legal reports that peers and clients say Michelle is “a very experienced and talented lawyer working in oil and gas arbitration, who impresses market commentators with her outstanding communication skills” and is “a fantastic arbitration lawyer with substantial international experience”. Who’s Who Legal has previously reported that “Michelle Bock is ‘a smart and thorough’ practitioner who ‘is extremely good at cross-examining witnesses’ and ‘excellent on damages matters.’ According to peers, ‘Her ability to digest massive volumes of information is tremendous.’”
Michelle teaches a course on international arbitration and litigation at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and regularly lectures at other European universities on the same.
- Acting for ČEZ, a.s., the largest utility company in Central and Eastern Europe, in its arbitration against Gazprom Export LLC regarding gas underdeliveries.
- Acting for multiple European pipeline gas buyers in connection with disputes regarding Russian gas underdeliveries.
- Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer in a billion-US-dollar price review arbitration with Asia Pacific-based sellers.
- Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer with two price negotiations in two billion-US-dollar pricing negotiations with Asia Pacific-based sellers.
- Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer with its price negotiations in a billion-US-dollar pricing dispute with an Asia Pacific-based seller.
- Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer in change of circumstances negotiations with various Asia Pacific-based sellers.
- Acting for a leading Chinese LNG buyer with its price negotiations in a billion-US-dollar pricing dispute with an Asia Pacific-based seller.
- Advising a Chinese terminal operator in respect of a potential missed cargo dispute against Asia-Pacific based sellers, including in relation to annual programming obligations.
- Advising a European energy company on price review negotiation strategy, including in relation to the application of a previous price review award on future price reviews.
- Advising a Japanese LNG buyer regarding annual programming obligations, potential missed cargoes, and declarations of force majeure.
- Advising a Chinese LNG buyer on sanctions related issues under a long-term SPA.
- Advising an Asia-Pacific LNG project operator on its price review strategy under a long-term LNG SPA.
- Acting for a major state-owned Chinese LNG buyer in an English law multimillion-US-dollar dispute in relation to cargo deliveries under a long-term gas supply contract with an Asia Pacific seller.
- Acting for an Asian gas buyer in a commercial arbitration regarding a dispute over gas delivery.
- Advising various parties to LNG and pipeline-gas sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) regarding missed cargoes, delivery flexibility, and declarations of force majeure.
- Acting for an Asian party in an Asia-based LNG price review arbitration, administered under the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules, with an amount in dispute of several hundred million US dollars, with English law applying.
- Acting for multiple Asian parties in Asia-based LNG price reviews, with English law applying.
- Advising an Asian party on their long-term LNG supply contract portfolio.
- Acting in a European price review dispute under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rules with an amount in dispute of several hundred million US dollars, with New York law applying.
- Multiple gas price reviews under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) rules, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) rules and ad hoc, regarding natural gas imported into the Turkish market.
- Multiple gas price reviews under the ICC rules and ad hoc, regarding natural gas imported into European markets.
- A series of national court cases regarding post-award proceedings in price reviews.
- Represented a biotechnology company regarding a technology and engineering dispute in an ICC arbitration, sited in London with English law applying.
- Represented an international energy-related concern regarding parallel proceedings in the US and Germany, with US and German law applying, respectively.
- Represented a German renewables concern regarding parallel litigation in US and German courts, with US and German law applying, respectively.
- Represented a leading European manufacturer in an ICC arbitration regarding a shareholder dispute sited in London, with English and Japanese law applying.
- Represented a leading European telecommunications company involving the break-up of an international joint venture, with Swiss law applying.
- Represented a leading European telecommunications company in multiple related arbitrations regarding an international joint venture sited in Vienna, with Polish and Austrian law applying.
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2003
- Rice University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2000
Admissions
- District of Columbia, 2006
- Brussels B-list
Courts
- U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of Ohio
- U.S. Ct. of App., Sixth Circuit
Memberships & Affiliations
Teaching Positions
- Lecturer, International Arbitration, Université Libre de Bruxelles
- Lecturer, Austrian Arbitration Academy Sommerhochschule, University of Vienna
- Lecturer, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Languages
- English
- German
- French
- Chambers Global 2025 Band 3 – “I am impressed with her expertise. She is very easy going, provides great communication and is very smart.”
- Who’s Who Legal: Energy – Global Leader, Oil & Gas
- Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration – Global Leader, Arbitration
- Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2017-2021 – Future Leader, Arbitration
Speaking Engagements
- 8th Athens Conference on European Energy Law and Policy – “Pre-Arbitration Negotiations in Energy Disputes”, Athens, December 2024.
- ICC Prague Arbitration Day “Will AI Replace Us (arbitrators, counsel, tribunal secretaries)?”, Prague, May 2024.
- Slovak Gas and Oil Association Workshop, Bratislava, May 2024.
- Institut für Energie und Regulierungsrecht Berlin “Gas Supply in Europe – A Market in Flux”, Berlin, November 2023.
- SIAC “Asian Gas Disputes: Trends for a New Market Era”, Singapore, June 2023.
- LCIA YIAG “How to Succeed in the Arbitration World”, March 2023.
- EY-ArbitralWomen cross-examination workshop, December 2022.
- Global Conference of the Co-Chairs’ Circle, Brussels, Belgium, June 2022.
- CMBA International Arbitration program, November 2020.
- GAR Live Vienna, Vienna, Austria, October 2019.
- 2. Konstanzer Schiedsforum, Konstanz, Germany, September 2019.
- Young ICCA/CEPANI40 Skills Training Workshop on Cross-examination, Brussels, Belgium, September 2018.
- DRI Panel on Settlement of Disputes, London, England, June 2018.
- Filing an Investment Claim: Strategic Choices and Practical Steps, Frankfurt, Germany, March 2017.
- DIS/PwC Expert Cross-Examination Workshop, Frankfurt, Germany, July 2016.
- Cross-Examination Training Workshop for Law Students, Frankfurt, Germany, April 2016.
- DIS 40 Rhine/Ruhr Conference, Düsseldorf, Germany, March 2016.
- LCIA YIAG/PwC Cross-Examination Workshop, London, UK, December 2015.
- 6th AIJA International Arbitration Conference, Vienna, Austria, June 2014.
- Young ICCA Workshop, Helsinki, Finland, June 2014.
- Allerhand Institute Litigation, Mediation and Arbitration Summit: Litigation & ADR 2014, keynote speaker, Warsaw, Poland, May 2014.
- Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung, lecture on comparative US and German tort law, Frankfurt, Germany, December 2013.
- Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung, lecture on comparative US and German contract law, Frankfurt, Germany, November 2013.
Publications
- “2024 Year in Review – Natural Gas and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)”, Squire Patton Boggs Alert, January 2025.
- “Update on European Measures for Natural Gas Security”, Squire Patton Boggs Alert, March 2023.
- “Global Gas and LNG Markets: 2022 Year in Review and a Look into 2023”, Squire Patton Boggs Alert, February 2023.
- “Gas Alert: Gasum v Gazprom export (Stockholm ad hoc Arbitration)”, Squire Patton Boggs Alert, November 2022.
- “Flexibility from Uncertainty”, LNG Industry, August 2022.
- “The Evolution of Natural Gas Price Review Arbitrations”, The Guide to Energy Arbitrations, Global Arbitration Review, 2022.
- “Force Majeure Issues in Today’s Gas Market” in Global Arbitration Review, July 2022.
- “The Asia LNG Market: Ongoing Impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict”, Squire Patton Boggs Alert, 2022.
- “Gas Payment Issues in Europe: What Are the Next Steps?” in Global Arbitration Review, 2022.
- “Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration”, in Wilhelmi, R., Stürner, M. (eds) Mehrparteienschiedsverfahren. Juridicum - Schriften zum Unternehmens- und Wirtschaftsrecht. Springer, Wiesbaden, 2021.
- “The Adjustment Phase”, Gas and LNG Price Arbitrations, Globe Law and Business, 2020.