Corporate and libel specialist joins Lancashire law firm

The company said Michael was a highly experienced solicitor with more than 20 years’ in practice who specialises in intellectual property, commercial contracts, business sale and acquisitions, restructures, refinancing and shareholder agreements.

He also acts for both claimants and defendants in media law and libel cases, including those involving national newspapers, trade unions and broadcasting channels.

Michael qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1991 before making the switch to become a solicitor a decade later, working in-house for a major telecoms company in Liverpool.

He has also worked in house for a high street and online clothing retailer, and for law firms across the region including Cobbetts and Halliwells in Manchester. Michael retains his Rights of Audience in the High Court but now focuses on corporate legal work and intellectual property, in which he has a master’s degree.

He brings with him clients in a range of sectors, chiefly SMEs from across the North West for whom he provides contractual and transactional services.

It is his expertise in intellectual property law, however, for which Michael is most well-known, protecting clients in creative and corporate industries including clothing, retail, manufacturing, software and the entertainment sector.

He said: “We only tend to hear about intellectual property when it comes to a contentious issue and someone has wrongly used someone else’s creation without permission. Those headline cases are often the result of a missed opportunity to carefully and clearly protect that asset in the first place, and can prove to be an extremely costly mistake for both sides.

“I help clients’ identify the assets and rights which should be protected and arrange the appropriate level of protection, then put in place the correct licencing or collaboration agreements to allow the creator to commercialise their rights and generate commercial revenue. This early work aims to prevent issues from becoming contentious but, if an infringement does occur and goes to court, we’ll ensure our client is given the best advice to ensure a successful outcome.

“I am delighted to have joined Vincents Solicitors and am pleased to have the opportunity to develop a vibrant and dynamic corporate department, introducing new clients and working with the firm’s existing clients to establish how we can further support their business.”

Joining Michael at Vincents is his assistant of 15 years, wife Karen Sandys, and trainee solicitor Tia Grimshaw who will move from the property team to work with Michael as part of her training contract.

Michael is also Area Leader for the Federation of Small Business Cheshire and Merseyside region, and has worked alongside the Lancashire, Manchester and Cumbria regions in pushing the SME agenda to politicians locally and nationally.

Phillip Gilmore, Vincents Solicitors managing director, said: “A well-known and well-respected figure among businesses in Cheshire and Merseyside, with clients across all sectors from around the North West, Michael is an exceptional addition to the Vincents team. As director of corporate and commercial he will be a great asset for our business clients for whom I’ve no doubt he can add significant value in a wide variety of ways.”