Michael is clerked primarily by Lee Johnson, Clare Sabido, Jennifer Pooler and Emma Bell.
“Always happy to shield the clients from the hazards of litigation, and to share any burden as part of the legal team – a real team player. Just what you need in the current climate.”
Sarmad Gassoub, Senior Solicitor, Moore Blatch
Michael is co-author of Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law, 3rd and 4th edition.
Experience & expertise
Michael has significant experience of injury claims of all complexions, and is often engaged where personal injury and clinical negligence claims co-exist. He is increasingly engaged in mental health clinical negligence claims, and jury and Article 2 Inquests, arising from deaths in nursing homes and deaths in secure psychiatric facilities or prisons. The Legal 500 note that he is ‘Silk material’, ranking him as a leading junior in the field of Inquests & Inquiries.
cases & work of note
Michael’s caseload includes complex and high value claims and Inquests, where Michael finds his experience in understanding and cross-examining clinicians of all disciplines, of greatest value whichever side of a case he is fighting. Michael has a particular interest in cases including brain injury, spinal injury and mental health issues.
Michael’s current caseload includes:
- Amputation;
- Birth injuries, including Cerebral Palsy;
- Death by strangulation in prison;
- Delayed treatment for cerebral haemorrhage;
- Spinal surgery leading to long-term neurological damage, including Cauda Equina Syndrome claims;
- Subtle brain injury following road traffic collisions;
- Unexplained adult deaths in mental health facilities; and
- Young persons’ deaths in custody.
Recommendations
Michael has variously been described as a “results-focussed” barrister, and “just the right Counsel for difficult cases. He always delivers, without unnecessary grandstanding or fanfare.”
Inez Brown, Partner, Harrison Clark Rickerbys / Medical Accident Group
Michael is ranked as a leading junior in The Legal 500. Recent editorials include: ‘An exceptionally well-prepared advocate.’, ‘Experienced well beyond his years of call.’, ‘Really good at explaining the legal process together with the various outcomes of an inquest to clients.’, ‘Silk material.’ and ‘A confident and very well-prepared advocate, who represents clients with calm authority and precision. He provides first class written submissions and his advocacy is focused, steady and persuasive.’
“Michael’s knowledge of HRA and mental health law in particular is really extensive and he excels in this area giving detailed advice and delivering meticulous pleadings. “
“Michael provides incisive, practical advice that is really helpful to both instructing solicitors and clients.”
His paperwork has been described as providing “exceptionally clear advice, and submissions that always make the most of your case.”
Simon Cheverst, RadcliffesleBrasseur
And during settlement negotiations, as “able to predict exactly where we were going, kept the client at ease throughout what ought to have been tense negotiations, and achieved a great result all-round.”
Sarmad Gassoub, Senior Solicitor, Moore Blatch.
Academic
Michael graduated from Goldsmiths’ College, London University, with a First class degree; and secured scholarships from Middle Temple whilst studying for the Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (law conversion course) at City University, as well as during Bar Finals at the Inns of Court School of Law (Very Competent).
Seminars/lectures
Michael organises, manages and presents seminars and clinical negligence conferences; has been invited to provide annual legal updates at clinical negligence seminars (APIL, Oxford Neurosurgery Medical Law Conference), and regularly contributes to seminars and training for solicitors’ clinical negligence departments.
Publications
- Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law (MTDL), 4th edition, 2022, Michael Walsh (contributing co-author)
Michael co-authored chapter two: Consent and Capacity – Adults in the fourth edition of the book Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law, edited by Christopher Johnston KC and Sophia Roper KC and written by 27 members of Serjeants’ Inn. - Journal of Observational Pain (JoOP)
Dr Rajesh Munglani (Editor-in-Chief), Michael Walsh (one of several assistant editors); - Clinical Negligence Claims: A Practical Guide (2nd edition), Michael Walsh (contributing editor)
reflections
I became a lawyer because finally, I discovered a career in which a penchant for pedantry and a sub-clinical ‘OCD’-type personality are often assets!
I remained a lawyer because, as clichéd as it sounds, I enjoy making a real difference to clients’ lives. Twenty years of guiding lay and professional clients through Inquests and injury claims of every severity, can easily engender insensitivity or cynicism. However, it just as often humbles you, and reminds you to appreciate all the things in life that are all too easily taken for granted.
“As clichéd as it sounds, I enjoy making a real difference to clients’ lives”
A fundamental skill for any Counsel, is the ability to appreciate all perspectives in a case. It is all too easy to develop ‘tunnel-vision’ when engrossed in litigation; so having the capability and experience to act on behalf of claimants, defendants, and all interested parties in your chosen area, allows you to more easily understand your opponents, their objectives, and their weaknesses, and by extension, how to achieve the best result for your own clients.
If I wasn’t a lawyer, I think I’d teach scuba-diving in a far-flung beach destination, and grow old disgracefully.
Life-lessons learned on the way: For me, the ‘job’ is and always has been about the people I’m lucky enough to work with. The quality of those individual interactions with lay and professional clients, judges, experts, and work colleagues, is often reward in itself; as is the satisfaction of fighting ‘tooth and nail’ to protect your client’s interests. And just as importantly, “remember to be nice to everyone you meet on the way up…”
Professional memberships
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
- Education Law Association
privacy
Michael adopts and adheres to the provisions of his privacy notice which can be accessed here.
Further Information
For further details of Michael’s practice please click on the links to the left or contact a member of the clerking or client service.
Bar Council Membership No: 35308
Registered Name: Michael Steven Walsh
VAT Registration No: 687814187