Michael Hanley

Michael Hanley graduated from Cambridge University in law and was admitted as a solicitor in 1985.

Michael was a founding partner of Wilson Solicitors in 1990 and for many years he served as both managing partner and senior partner. He retired from the partnership on 31st March 2021 He continues to advice and represent clients as a Senior Consultant practicing in the firm’s immigration department.

Michael has been ranked as a leading individual in immigration in the Chambers UK Guide to the Legal Profession for a number of years. He has been praised for his “thorough, completely committed approach” and for his “unyielding dedication in pushing cases in the right direction for his client” (2006), and as a “fantastic all-rounder” who “always sees his clients through to the end of the case” (2007) and as a “perfect example of a top immigration lawyer” (2012). “He is a leading solicitor in this area” (2014). “Absolutely top-notch and a brilliant and effective lawyer in his field” (2015). “He is dedicated to the clients he serves” (2016). “His devotion and dedication to the cause of his clients drives him strongly to achieve the results that they want to achieve” (2017). “Very tenacious and very knowledgeable” and “praised for his lateral thinking and his ability to identify new points of law or facts which are not obvious” (2018). “Superbly insightful, wonderfully pragmatic and immensely compassionate” (2019).

Michael is also been ranked as a leading individual in the Legal 500, “tremendous knowledge and experience” (2019).

He is an individual member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association. He has had the conduct of cutting-edge cases in the European Court of Human Rights and the House of Lords. He taught the Legal Practice Course Immigration for four years between 2001 and 2004 and has been an examiner with Central Law Training. He has served as an external examiner at Westminster University. He was a Legal Services Commission peer reviewer between 2004 and 2008. He is currently a consultant to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. He has written items on immigration law for Lexis Nexis.

Michael commenced his career as a civil litigator and secured considerable compensation for clients injured in accidents. That wider civil background has been put to good use in bringing specialist claims against the home office for unlawful detention, wrongful prosecution and breach of privacy