Michael Higgins

Job/Position: Solicitor of England & Wales

Location: United Kingdom

A UK-qualified solicitor with over 14 years of legal practice, specialising in EU261/UK261 passenger compensation, airline liability disputes, denied boarding, and regulatory enforcement. Michael has been actively involved in air passenger rights litigation since 2015 and has led high-impact cases shaping airline compensation law in the United Kingdom.

Professional background

Michael has extensive experience in aviation litigation and civil court proceedings, including:

Managing Director (2015–present)

Head of Litigation (2011–2014)

His work has focused on passenger compensation claims, airline appeals, denied boarding disputes, and civil litigation arising from flight disruptions.

Bar admission & legal qualifications

Solicitor of England & Wales, SRA ID 490972 (admitted 2011). Public register: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/person/185795/michael-james-higgins

LLB (Hons) — University of Westminster (2006)

Legal Practice Course (LPC) — College of Law (2010)

Professional memberships

Member, Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM)

Member, Civil Court Users Association (CCUA)

Litigation & regulatory experience

Michael has represented passengers before in UK Civil Courts, UK Court of Appeal, National enforcement and regulatory bodies.

Notable cases & outcomes

Court of Appeal victory: Dore v EasyJet Airline Company Ltd. [2022] EWCA Civ 1553
A landmark ruling preventing airlines from creating material obstacles to passengers claiming compensation: https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2022/1553.

Long-standing enforcement of EU261/UK261 passenger rights in high-volume litigation

Case experience & outcomes

1,500+ aviation-related cases handled

Successful enforcement of passenger compensation in complex airline appeal cases

Proven litigation outcomes affecting airline compensation practices in the UK

Expert insight: Many airline compensation claims are rejected incorrectly; legal review significantly improves success rates.

Content review & attribution

Michael reviews AirAdvisor content related to airline compensation pages, EU261/UK261 legal guides, airport disruption and aviation industry reports.