Michael Chan

Michael is the Senior Partner and a founding member of Chan Neill Solicitors, which he co-established around his own professional philosophy: to provide incisive legal advice that takes each client’s financial position into account.

Educational background

Michael obtained a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from U.M.I.S.T. before qualifying as a solicitor in September 1995. He discovered his love for litigation when he began his career working for Lovells, Hong Kong, where he was put on a US billion dollar construction contract dispute. In his next law firm, this time in the UK, he rose quickly from assistant solicitor to partner in 1998.

Areas of expertise 

Michael has acted for many composite insurers in specialist insurance litigation matters. These include Zurich, Axa and Royal and Sun Alliance, whose exposure across a wide spectrum of insurance liability risks in large technical loss claims Michael successfully minimised.

Michael is instructed by numerous clients with complex business needs. He has acted, and continues to act, in a wide range of commercial matters, including commercial acquisitions, cross-border commercial disputes, high net worth matrimonial cases, and has advised on gaming laws and overseen casino acquisitions in the London gaming sector. His client portfolio includes multinational companies, high net worth individuals, banking corporations, and large property developers.

Michael was recognised as the winner of Insurance Litigation Law within the UK by IAE for 2019.

Other activities

Outside of work, Michael is passionate about promoting Chinese culture and connections within the United Kingdom.  He established and chaired the London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in his years as president of the London China Town Lions Club with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in 2007 and 2008 respectively. This event is now a major annual highlight in the UK Chinese calendar and funds raised go to many worthy causes.  He was awarded the Melvin Jones fellowship award which is the highest accolade given to deserving individuals with contributions to charitable work within the Lions club.

Michael firmly believes in giving the British Chinese community its political voice. His longtime support of political causes has granted him access to individuals at all levels of government, bringing to the table issues that are relevant to Chinese both local and abroad.