Michael is a Consultant  at Watkins & Gunn.  He is the Head of Public & Administrative law at Watkins & Gunn and is also a highly regarded personal injury lawyer. Michael has been involved in some of the highest profile cases in Wales in recent years that cover Judicial Review, service closures, education law and personal injury matters

Michael has been ranked as a leading Administrative Law Lawyer and Personal injury lawyer in both the Chambers UK Guide and the Legal 500 Directory –independent guides that gather client opinion and that of other legal professionals to rank lawyers regionally and nationally. Michael is ranked in the Legal 500’s ‘Hall of Fame’. The Hall of Fame is reserved for leading lawyers who are ‘at the pinnacle of the profession’.

For over 20 years Michael has been the principal lawyer in Wales and the West for the Community Union.

Michael acted for hundreds of victims in the infected blood inquiry (2018 -24) and continues to act and advise in respect of the infected blood the compensation scheme.

Michael had represented families in some of the largest coroners inquests in Wales such as the Port Talbot steel works explosion of 2001 and the Gleision mining disaster 2011.

Michael has acted in a number of high profile hospital closure and downgrade cases, for example, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, fighting the closure of the Neo Natal maternity centre – Bishops caste, saving the local cottage hospital Michael has acted in a number of high profile school closure cases, for example – Gwernyfed High School – In 2015, this popular mid Wales secondary school was earmarked for closure by Powys County Council – Beaumaris Primary School (2019). Michael acted for campaigners in successfully saving Beaumaris Primary school in Anglesey, North Wales. In 2024 Micharl helped to save four primary schools in Ceredigion.

Michael has acted in a number of high profile library closure cases. In 2018 Michael helped save 20 libraries in Northamptonshire from closure in a landmark judicial review challenge. Michael has also helped save libraries in other parts of the county such as St Helens, the Rhondda and Church Stretton (Shropshire).

Michael has acted for a number of victims of historic sex abuse cases, for example, acting for victims of acts carried out by a Newport primary school head teacher in the 1970’s and for victims of abuse allegedly carried out on Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire.

Michael has acted for claimants in some prominent leading personal injury cases which have shaped the law in respect of industrial disease (Brown & Others v Corus – [2004] EWCA Civ 374), fatal accidents (Rogers v National Assembly of Wales –  [2004] EWCA Civ 250 & Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust v Williams [2008] EWCA Civ 81), and foreign travel (Akehurst & Others v Thompson Holidays 6 May 2003 (CC Cardiff)).

Professional Memberships:

• Committee member Public Law Wales
• Member and Fellow of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
• Former Co-ordinator APIL Wales and Chair of APIL Training and Accreditation Committee
• Former Member of APIL National Executive Committee
• Member of Law Society Human Rights Committee
• Member of Law Society International Lawyers at Risk Group
• Member and former President of Cardiff & District Law Society

Reported Cases

• Akehurst & Others v Thompson Holidays 6 May 2003 (CC Cardiff) – Gerona Air Crash
• Rogers v National Assembly of Wales – [2004] EWCA Civ 250 –  Court of Appeal – Fatal Accident case, defective road surface
• Brown & Others v Corus – [2004] EWCA Civ 374 – Court of Appeal – HAVS Claims
• R (on the application of Lloyd v Pembrokeshire County Council [2004] EWHC 2312 ( Hermon School Closure case) – High Court
• Ceredigion CC v Jones & Others [2007] UKHL 24 – House of Lords – School Transport
• Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust v Williams [2008] EWCA Civ 81 – Court of Appeal, Fatal Accident case, Quantum in respect of deceased business owner.
• Re Sarika Angel Watkins-Singh v The Governing Body of Aberdare Girls’ High School & Rhondda Cynon Taf Unitary Authority – [2008] EWHC 1865 (Admin) – School Uniform
• Gower Chemicals Group Litigation [2008] EWHC 735 – High Court – Group Action arising from Chemical Poisoning
• R (on the application of Roberts) v The Welsh Ministers (2011) EWHC 3416 (admin) – School Closure.
• R (on the application of Flatley) v Hywel Dda UHB [2014] EWHC 655 (Admin) – Hospital closure/downgrade
• R (On the application of Thomas) v Hywel Dda University Health Board [2014] EWHC 4044 (Admin); (2015) PLLR 018 – Hospital closure/downgrade
• R (On the application of Tilley) v Vale of Glamorgan Council [2015] All ER (D) 64 (Nov) – Library Closure.
• R (On the application of Edwards) v Flintshire County Council [2016] EWHC 459 (Admin) (2016) E.L.R 208 – School Closure.
• R (On the application of Tilley 2) v Vale of Glamorgan Council (2016) EWHC 2272, Law Society Gazette, 16 January 2017 – Library Closure.
• R (On the application of LB) v Independent Appeals Panel of Newport City Council (2017) EWHC 2216 (Admin) – School Exclusion
• Page, R (On the Application Of) v Darlington Borough Council (2018) EWHC 1818 – Library Closure.
• WX, R (On the Application Of) v Northamptonshire County Council, QBD – Administrative Court [2018] EWHC 2178 (Admin) – Library Closures
• R (B) v Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council CO/4740/2018 – Local Government Lawyer 18 March 2019 – Future Generations Act case
• R on the application of Williams v Caerphilly County Borough Council [2019] EWHC 1618 (Admin); [2019] 6 WLUK 352 – Leisure Centre Closure
• R (DJ) v Welsh Ministers [2019] EWCA 1349 – Court of Appeal – Specialist Further Education
• R(ZK) v London Borough of Redbridge [2020] EWCA Civ 1597, [2020] 12 WLUK 2 – Court of Appeal – Special Educational Needs
• R (Driver) v Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council [2020] EWCA 1759 12 WLUK 348 Court of Appeal – School Reorganisation – Welsh Language in Statutory Interpretation.
• Adferiad Recovery v Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (2021) EWHC 3049 (TCC) – Procurement challenge
• R (CN) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2022] EWCA Civ 86 – lawfulness of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme in respect of victims of Hepatitis B.
• R (YA) v The Independent Appeal Panel of Swansea Council (2022) EWHC 408 (admin) – overturning of permanent school exclusion. Important case on role and powers of exclusion appeal panels in Wales.
• JS v Cardiff City Council (2022) EWHC 707 (Admin) – Council in contempt of court.
• R (Patton) v HM Assistant Coroner for Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire (2022) EWHC 1377 (Admin) – Successful challenge to coroner refusal to consider Article 2 inquest
• R (AB) v Slough Borough Council[2022] EWHC 1772 (Admin) – challenge to closure of disabled adults’ day care centre.
• R (SO) v Thanet District Council [2023] EWCA Civ 398, TLR 8 May 2023 – challenge to eviction of travellers from site.
• R (SO) v Thanet District Council (2) [2023] Costs LR 627 – legal aid costs
• TJ, R (On the application Of) Monmouthshire County Council (2024) EWHC 2594 (Admin) – failure of local authority to provide vulnerable young person with supported accommodation