Michael Newman

Michael conducts litigation at all levels (including the Supreme Court), and against all opponents. His knowledge of group litigation is impressive, and he is equally at home representing single individuals in the employment tribunal, or hundreds of claimants in the High Court. Lengthy and complex trials, against large and well-resourced companies, are second nature to him.

He has successfully brought employment claims against central government departments, banks and financial institutions, large multinationals, NHS bodies, universities, local authorities, non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) and several national newspapers. Several of Michael’s previous cases have received support from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. He only acts for claimants.

Michael advises and assists in a wide-range of workplace disputes, and discrimination matters in all sectors. He previously had conduct of the blacklisting litigation on behalf of GMB members in the High Court, and also represents tens of thousands of workers in an equal pay claim against Asda (believed to be the largest private sector equal pay claim). In addition he represents thousands of other supermarket workers in their equal pay claims.

He has also successfully concluded hundreds of worker status claims for individuals who were classified as self-employed independent contractors by their companies (often referred to as “gig economy” cases), and was appointed a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Department of Work and Pensions Select Committee, contributing to their “Legalising the Gig Economy” report.

He graduated from Worcester College, Oxford with a double first in law, followed by a distinction in the Bachelor of Civil Law at Merton College, Oxford.

Michael trained as a barrister, and was called to the Bar in 2007. He completed his pupillage at a leading employment and discrimination set of chambers. Michael qualified as a solicitor in 2011.

Legal expertise

He has advised and litigated in the following types of claim:

• discrimination because of age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation;
• Gig economy cases around worker status;
• discrimination in goods and services;
• Exit fee challenges for graduates;
• discrimination in further education;
• whistle blowing;
• victimisation and harassment;
• bonus disputes;
• TUPE;
• redundancy;
• unfair and wrongful dismissal;
• equal pay (both individual and multi-party).

Michael is also experienced in drawing up and negotiating settlement agreements when the employment relationship has ended, and has helped individuals secure six-figure settlements.

While working at Leigh Day, Michael has been involved in the following reported cases:

• Cordell v Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• RSA Consulting v Evans (Court of Appeal)
• Garratt v Mirror Group Newspapers Limited (Court of Appeal)
• Regent Security Services Ltd v Power (Court of Appeal)
• Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust v Power (EAT)
• Abdulla v Birmingham City Council (Supreme Court)
• Bailey v R & R Plant Hire (Peterborough) Limited (Court of Appeal)
• Bury Metropolitan Borough Council v Hamilton & Ors (EAT)
• Mustafa v Guy's And St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust (EAT)
• Brierley & others v Asda Stores Limited (Court of Appeal on three occasions)

Michael wrote an entry on harassment on Westlaw’s Insight, and has recorded podcasts on both discrimination and equal pay. He has been quoted on equal pay in all major newspapers, given evidence to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, was a guest on Clive Anderson’s Unreliable Evidence and has appeared live on both BBC and Sky news programmes. In 2018 he was a panellist at the Institutional Investor Educational Foundation’s conference in New York.

Memberships

Michael was previously on the executive committee of the Discrimination Law Association for ten years, latterly as vice-chair, and regularly contributes to articles, cases summaries and responses to government consultations.