About
You could say that I started my legal career at the age of 6 when I used to accompany my dad to work during the school holidays. I enjoyed the workings of his legal practice and watching the men and women in funny wigs walk around with papers tied up in pink ribbon. Twenty years later I was admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and found myself back in that same office doing real legal work. I founded Approachable Lawyer in 2003 after having spent six years litigating cases in the heart of legal London and a further 18 months at one of New Zealand’s top law firms. But, I rebelled against the corporate structure of the traditional law firm which I identified created inefficiency and higher cost structures for clients.
High cost structures and tendency towards the use of 'legalese' mean that many people are put off using a lawyer. Approachable Lawyer was formed with the intention of bringing a human side to legal practice and making legal advice more accessible through the availability of online documents and articles. Through my research, and conscious about how technology may impact the profession in the future, I formed the view that the real value of a lawyer is less about their knowledge of the law but more about how they can use their skills to apply the law to achieve positive outcomes for their clients. I identified that there was a need for a skills based and empathetic law firm which could more easily relate to the clients it served.
Since 2003, I have worked fastidiously on internal systems to ensure every case is handled efficiently and every client is dealt with empathetically without compromising the quality of the legal output. Where efficiencies have been made, those cost savings have been passed to you, the client. I have invested significantly in personal development and training to become an expert in human behaviour and this enables me to apply the law in a way that gets the best results for you. My skills range from advocacy, to negotiation, to change management, to executive coaching.
I have the skills which you need to get the outcome you want.
This is a lawyer with a difference and hence the name of his business "Approachable Lawyer". Michael is a friendly, easy to work with lawyer and who offers unique ways of hiring legal services. Once you've hired Michael, you'll never want to go back to the normal staid ways most people have become accustomed to. I highly recommend Michael for both his expertise in the practice of law and for the innovative ways he operates his business. You'll definitely want to sign up to his hotline!
