The Legal 500

Work Department

Commercial and transactions – public sector, education, charities.

Position

Associate director – national head public sector, charities, education: acting for and in respect of businesses and public bodies working in highly regulated environments. Negotiation and documentation of the provision of outsourcing and procured services and infrastructure including collective procurements and joint venture services provision with a particular personal reputation in schools, colleges, universities and not-for-profit information technologies and their management and security. Michael acts for the Eastern, South West and Northern Grids for Learning and the East Midlands and Yorkshire Universities networks. Regulatory, constitutional and commercial documentation and negotiation support for business, charity and other not primarily for profit enterprises including dealing with charity, financial services, competition, state aid, care services and other regulatory issues. Clients include: Sheffield international venues, Sheffield galleries and museums, Yorkshire and Midlands Air Ambulances, Autism, several universities, colleges and schools charities. Michael’s change management, risk management and tax advisory work is confidential.

Career

Full training and full commission HM Inspector of Taxes, qualified 1977; Inland Revenue (now HM Revenue and Customs) 1972-89. During his Inland Revenue appointment Michael held district charge in Cornwall and led several highly specified and successful investigation operations based in Yorkshire including to do with offshore avoidance, PAYE and public sector/charities/education compliance and pensions matters. Simpson Curtis (latterly Pinsent Curtis and now Pinsent Mason), 1989-94, associate specialising in fiscal management and public sector/charities law and change management; Garrets and Arthur Andersen 1994-2000, associate specialising in procurement and joint ventures in a public sector context, tax planning and management consultancy support for crisis driven change management; DLA (now DLA Piper) 2000-05, role largely as for Garrets; Irwin Mitchell LLP 2005 to date, associate director.

Member

Institute of Indirect Taxation, associate; Charity Law Association, member.

Education

Blackpool Grammar School; University of Bristol (Physics degree).

Leisure

Member of Ilkley Squash and Lawn tennis Club. Interests include gardening, appreciation of music, art and fine wine, quick cars, watching rugby league and cricket and keeping more or less fit. Governor – Sheffield Hallam University; trustee – Sheffield FC Football Trust.

Practice Areas

Charities and not-for-profit; Education; Public sector