Michael is Director of Marketing at Barr Ellison Law. He leads the firm’s Client Service, Communications, Marketing, Design, Business Development and Anti-Money Laundering functions.
It is an interesting and varied role, covering projects such as the introduction of a leading-edge Client Relationship Management system to improve the client experience from start to finish – including a branded app and client portal. A whole series of events are being planned to celebrate BE Law’s 150th anniversary in 2024 to benefit community charities. The role covers social media, growing the firm’s Legal 500 rankings, enabling events, developing advertising content management campaigns, managing the website and intranet, and generally developing pipelines of work. Responsibility includes integrating the AML elements of client onboarding to provide an automated seamless experience for new clients. The pandemic provided an opportunity to re-brand and re-design the firm’s website.
Prior to taking on a full-time marketing role, Michael led BE Law’s Commercial Property Team as a Partner, having moved from a large regional firm on the outskirts of London. His focus was on larger more complex transactions, including a reverse takeover of a business in the leisure sector with a property portfolio worth over £100 million.
Michael qualified as a solicitor in 2004. He has a Masters in Business Administration and his primary degree is a Bachelor in Social Science. Following his degree, Michael spent five years in Brussels, working as part of a powerful lobbying body at the American Chamber of Commerce, which represented billions of dollars foreign direct investment in Europe. It was here that Michael learned to appreciate the power of law and regulation as part of a team which lobbied to influence European Union policy and legislation being drafted by the EU institutions headquartered in Brussels and Strasbourg. Michael put this experience to good use when he moved to Cambridge in 1993 to join Analysys Research – an arm of an international management and strategy consultancy in the communications sector – becoming part of a team writing and project managing multi-client research reports covering regulation, legislation, company performance and corporate networks. Michael has authored or co-authored a dozen successful industry publications.
Michael loves sociology and politics and the law is an extension of these passions. He has even spent a brief period as a District Councillor in Chichester East. Michael has been Chair of Governors at his son’s local school in Cambridge, where he continues to be involved by running their website.