Mr Michael Massengale

Former Texas appellate court judge Michael Massengale, FCIArb, is a U.S.-domestic and international arbitrator with deep experience resolving complex commercial disputes, particularly in the energy industry. Justice Massengale has served as tribunal chair, party-appointed arbitrator, sole arbitrator, and emergency arbitrator, as well as on appeals panels under the JAMS Optional Arbitration Appeal Procedure, including as panel chair. In addition to JAMS-administered disputes, Justice Massengale has arbitrated claims administered by AAA, ICDR, and ICC, as well as ad-hoc disputes. Among many affiliations in the field of arbitration and in the wider legal community, he is a Fellow of both the College of Commercial Arbitrators and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Justice Massengale regularly provides neutral analysis, including moot appellate arguments (particularly for appeals in the U.S. Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Texas, and Texas intermediate appellate courts), and occasionally serves as a mediator, including in appellate and ICC-administered international mediations.

In his arbitration practice, Justice Massengale draws on his prior experience as a trial partner in an international law firm, plus over a decade of experience as a Texas intermediate appellate court justice. In private law practice he focused primarily on complex commercial disputes involving securities, bankruptcy, antitrust, tax, and tort litigation, predominantly representing clients in energy-related industries. He had significant roles in two commercial disputes, each successfully tried to final judgment, with over $1 billion in controversy—once representing the plaintiff, and once representing defendants. As an appellate judge, he participated in the resolution of thousands of appeals and wrote more than 600 signed opinions across a broad spectrum of complex matters involving commercial and contractual disputes in various industries, including construction, financial services, government, health care, oil and gas, and legal services.

Justice Massengale is board-certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and he is an elected member of the American Law Institute.