Senior Partner at Irwin Mitchell
Michael Napier is a solicitor and the senior partner of national law firm Irwin Mitchell. He is the Attorney-General’s Pro Bono Envoy and was President of the Law Society of England & Wales in 2000. Educated at Loughborough Grammar School he graduated in law at Manchester University. He joined Irwin Mitchell in 1972 (then 3 partners, now 110 partners and over 1800 people in 6 Cities) and has been Senior Partner since 1983. Initially a full time advocate in crime, mental health and employment law, he became a specialist in litigation particularly personal injury. From 1985 to '94 Michael was also joint senior partner of Pannone Napier, the international law firm which pioneered multi-party litigation in the UK, handling in a leading capacity group actions for victims of many of the major transport and product liability disasters of the time.
Cases:
In 1981 Michael was the first solicitor advocate to appear before the European Court of Human Rights representing “Mr X” in `X v United Kingdom’ securing meaningful tribunal rights and legal aid for detained mental patients (Mental Health Act 1983). In 1987 he represented the successful claimant in Blackburn v Newcastle Health Authority, a clinical negligence action that led to the introduction of specialist panels of solicitors to handle personal injury and clinical negligence claims. In 1990 he successfully represented the claimant in Barber v Guardian Royal (European Court of Justice) resulting in equal pension rights and a raft of anti-discrimination legislation and equal opportunities law throughout Europe.