Associate Director

Michael is a senior adviser, executive coach, facilitator and trainer with 30 years’ experience at the highest levels of legal and professional services. A former Partner at Allen & Overy and Senior and Managing Partner at Deloitte Legal, he brings first-hand experience of leading major client relationships, partners and professional services businesses.

Specialist areas

Michael works with partners and senior leaders on the commercial, client and leadership challenges that come with senior roles in professional services. His particular areas of focus include:

Client key account growth – helping Client Relationship Partners and account teams improve their client account development strategies and results.

Partner and leadership development – coaching senior professionals on the path to partnership as they take on wider leadership and commercial responsibilities. This includes transitioning from fixed share to equity

Firm strategy, change and performance – advising and facilitating partner and leadership groups as they review strategy, address performance issues, navigate change and turn strategic priorities into practical action.

Senior leadership and decision-making – acting as an experienced adviser and sounding board when leaders are dealing with complex organisational or commercial issues, competing perspectives or decisions requiring judgement and influence.

Michael draws on first-hand experience of building and leading a professional services business, managing organisational change and developing trusted relationships with General Counsel, boards and C-suite executives.

Career and professional highlights

• 30 years’ experience as a practising lawyer, partner and senior leader in professional services
• Former Partner at Allen & Overy, where he built and led major institutional client relationships
• Former Senior and Managing Partner of Deloitte Legal UK
• Established and grew Deloitte Legal UK to close in on the Top 100 UK law firms within three years

Michael has extensive experience advising General Counsel, boards and C-suite executives and has led complex business transformation, including a law firm acquisition, organisational growth and integration. He has an MA in Modern History from the University of Oxford and is also a qualified Personal Trainer.

What Michael enjoys most about his work

‘I enjoy helping partners and senior leaders step back from the immediate pressures of their roles and look at situations with fresh perspective. Having led major client relationships, teams and businesses myself, I understand many of the challenges first-hand. It is particularly rewarding to help people turn clearer thinking into practical action that strengthens relationships, leadership and results.’