Michael has a broad based civil practice, acting for both Claimants and Defendants.

He covers the whole range of Personal Injury disputes, specialising in higher value claims and Clinical Negligence disputes, including catastrophic birth injuries and injuries of maximum severity. He also has a broad commercial practice, with an emphasis on construction disputes, insurance policy issues and professional negligence.

He appears regularly in the High Court and County Court as well as in the TCC.

He has considerable experience of alternative dispute resolution, including commercial mediations, adjudications and arbitrations.

Michael is an excellent barrister for serious injury and clinically complex work. He combines calm, authoritative advocacy with very strong judgment, and he was particularly effective in distilling complex factual and medical issues into a clear and persuasive case strategy. He inspires confidence both within the legal team and with clients, and he is someone you want on a demanding, high-value matter. His main strengths are his advocacy, analytical clarity, and command of complex medical issues. He gets to the heart of the case quickly, identifies the points that really matter, and gives practical advice that is both legally sound and commercially realistic.
Legal 500, 2027

Notable Cases

Barclays Bank v Fairclough Building

Common Law

Scope of contributory negligence in contract
Bainbridge v Circuit Foil Ltd.

Common Law

Proper construction of terms of employer’s pension scheme
Brown v Lewisham & North Southwark HA

Clinical Negligence

Breach of duty and causation
Barratt v South Manchester University NHS Trust

Clinical Negligence

No breach of duty on the facts
Re SS [2002] 1 FLR 445 (Wall J)

Personal Injury

Person under disability – abortion – consent - role of medical practitioners
Burgess v Stockport NHS Trust (2011)

Clinical Negligence

No breach of duty on the facts
R v CM NHS Trust

Clinical Negligence

Substantial cerebral palsy claim settled on lump sum plus PPO basis
Re D P

Personal Injury

Award of over £4m
Re J R P

Personal Injury

Award of £3.5m
SHP v UU

Common Law

Substantial commercial arbitration settled after mediation
McManus v Salford CC & Punch Taverns

Landlord & Tenancy

Dispute about liability for subsidence to adjacent property between landlord and tenant – issue as to meaning and scope of contractual indemnity clause