Equestrian

Michael has been in practice for over forty years and having resisted the pressure to deal with only one aspect of the law, he has been determined to remain a multi-disciplinary practitioner and as a result is very experienced in matters relating to property, litigation, insolvency and company commercial work.

Working with developers on sites with a GDV of up to £100m and dealing in litigious and insolvency matters often involving tens of millions of pounds, he brings his sense of humour to all situations and ensures that he does not take an hour to do ten minutes worth of work.

He is the ideal lawyer for clients who want a sharp commercial view delivered in a very straight talking fashion to let them know their position and their options going forward.

Michael and his family live on their 34 acre equestrian centre in north London with two dogs, two cats (plus four cats on the farm), fifty horses and three donkeys

David Pritchard is head of our commercial litigation and dispute resolution department.

He deals with a broad portfolio of cases and his areas of practice include:

• contract/commercial;
• construction;
• property litigation;
• landlord & tenant;
• civil fraud;
• contentious/non-contentious insolvency matters (including bankruptcy/winding-up);
• ADR;
• enforcement.

David has over fifteen years’ experience bringing and defending claims on behalf of corporate clients, individuals and insolvency practitioners, ranging from small-claims County Court matters right through to complex multi-track High Court litigation and appeals. David has enjoyed many successes at Trial and is a pragmatic operator with a keen commercial approach where the situation demands, having a proven track-record of settling difficult claims which are often challenging and emotive. In the normally stressful process of litigation, David is a calming and reassuring influence who will work tirelessly to ensure his clients’ interests are protected.

Outside of the office, David enjoys rugby, squash and boxing (a fighter, even in his spare time). When he is not looking after his three young children, David is also a gigging-guitarist.

Notable Cases

• MVL Properties (2017) Limited v The Leadmill Limited [2025] EWHC 349 (Ch)
• Brooke Homes (Bicester Limited) v Portfolio Property Partners Limited (In Administration) & Ors [2025] EWHC 1305 (Ch)
• Dohia -v- Joyce [2023] https://tinyurl.com/recentcase
• Colliver -v- Papworth & Papworth [2021] EWHC 2465 (Ch)
• Jafari -v- Tareem Ltd [2019] LTL 29/10/2019; [2019] EWHC 3119 (Ch)
• London College of Business Ltd -v- Tareem Ltd & Anor [2018] EWHC 437 (Ch)
• Goldsmith -v- Chittell [2016] EWHC 630

Michael Hatchett is a Solicitor in the Dispute Resolution department.

Michael deals with all manner of civil claims and commercial disputes and has particular experience in the following areas of practice:

• civil fraud;
• contract/commercial;
• construction disputes;
• contentious insolvency matters (including bankruptcy and winding-up); and
• partnership disputes.
• Michael has recently had conduct of a matter worth in the region of GBP 1 million which involved both an out of court settlement and a streamlined trial of the remaining issues.

Michael adopts a flexible approach to high-value litigation with a view to minimising costs and maximising client success by considering the prospects of settlement at every stage of a dispute.

Michael is an attentive lawyer with an eye for detail and a dedicated approach to client care.

Out of the office, Michael enjoys trail-running having recently competed in an event in the Swiss Alps, he also enjoys squash and the gym.