Our people

Directories say:

• "Very clever and very good at lateral thinking" - Legal 500 2009
• Has "wide-ranging knowledge of media law" - Legal 500 2009
• "very shrewd and tactical, good at big-picture thinking’"- Legal 500 2009
• "Leading figure" – Chambers 2008
• "Excellent litigator" – Legal 500 2007
• “a force to be reckoned with” – Chambers 2007
• “produces excellent results” – Chambers 2007
• “he will go the extra mile for his clients” – Chambers 2006
• “immensely shrewd” – Chambers 2006
• “really knows his way around copyright and trademark disputes” – Chambers 2005
• “a long-standing track record advising clients such as broadcasters and celebrities.  Commentators are impressed by his good tactical abilities and breadth of media expertise” – Chambers 2005
• “a calming influence in negotiations, commentators said” – Chambers 2005
• “Tough and abrasive with a good technical mind, Michael Skrein is considered by peers to be a man you can fight with” – Chambers 2003/4
• “Clients describe him as superb, deceptively calm, with an outstanding knowledge of the media business” – Legal 500 2003

Michael heads Reed Smith's Intellectual Property, Media, Advertising and Technology disputes group. His practice is mainly in litigation, but he also advises about conflict and potential conflict situations, including crisis scenarios. Michael specialises in intellectual property and media law and in public law, both domestic and international, and aviation law. He has a very broad and notably international practice, including advertising law, competition, insurance, leisure and travel.  He has considerable experience of multi-jurisdictional disputes and is well used to the role of lead lawyer for clients in jurisdictions other than England.  Michael has been consulted over the formulation of statutory tribunal codes and made submissions concerning parliamentary drafting and law reform in the UK and abroad.

He also serves as the firm’s Head of Pro Bono for Europe and the Middle East. 

Michael has been an expert witness on the English law of trade secrets in U.S. federal procedings and on the English law of passing off in state proceedings in California. Additionally, Michael is a committee member of the International Trademark Association (INTA).

His experience includes:

• Trademark portfolios
• Comparative advertising
• Disputes over use of music, images and jingles
• Copyright Tribunal litigation
• Major copyright disputes
• Trade secrets
• Multi-jurisdictional competition litigation
• High profile music litigation concerning labels, artists and their rights
• Represented many film, music and sports stars
• Represented heads of state and government
• Character protection
• Represented a number of national broadcasters on cutting edge legal issues
• Major sports television rights and other issues
• Long experience of work in the aviation industry, for airlines, brokers and regulators

Publications

• Overlooked: Surveillance and Personal Privacy in Modern Britain
• Published on confidence, contempt of court, human rights, libel, privacy and trade marks
• Guide to UK Advertising and Sales Promotion Law (3 editions)
• Sat on the editorial board for the journal Media Law 2002 and 2003
• The subject of various profiles
• Guide to Judicial Review
• Chair of the committee drafting the intellectual property protocols for the Civil Procedure Rules

Speeches / Presentations

• Assisted print and electronic media as an expert in areas of the law of confidence, media, publicity, privacy and anti-piracy, and appeared as a legal expert on the BBC’s Kilroy! television programme
• Chair of the Protecting the Media series of conferences, the market leader for over a decade
• Chaired forum with the Lord Chancellor’s Department on defamation law reform
• Chaired panel at In The City (Dublin) on ownership of copyright in musical master recordings
• Addressed In The City (Manchester) on the internet and its legal implications
• Lectured on the intellectual property protocol
• In Los Angeles and New York, lectured on Advertising Law in the Electronic Age
• Chaired discussion forum with the Head of Civil Justice for the Fleet Street Lawyers’ Association
• Lectured on libel and on trade libel

Experience

Graduate Education

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

• England and Wales

Professional Affiliations

• Chair and trustee of UK Friends of the Science Museum Limited
• British Literary & Artistic Copyright Association
• International Bar Association
• Media Society
• Royal Television Society

Reported Cases

As well as being involved in many cases that settled, were arbitrated, or were not the subject of law reports, and cases that featured in law reports in other jurisdictions, the following is a list of Michael's United Kingdom reported cases, with citations:

• Global Knafaim Leasing Limited & Another -v- The Civil Aviation Authority & Others [2010] EWHC 1348 (Admin) 
• Danjaq v OHMI- Mission Productions (Dr. No) (Intellectual property) [2009] EUECJ T-435/05 (30 June 2009) 
• Pell v Express Newspapers, [2009] EWHC 118 (QB)
• Pell v Express Newspapers, (CA (Civ Div)) Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 28 January 2005 [2005] EWCA Civ 46
• R v Johnstone, House of Lords, 22 May 2003, [2003] 1 WLR 1736
• World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund) v World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc (Third Party Application) also known as: World Wide Fund for Nature v THQ/Jakks Pacific LLC, Court of Appeal, 27 March 2003, [2004] F.S.R. 10
• R v Holborough, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), 7 November 2002, [2002] EWCA Crim 2631
• Koch Shipping Inc. v Richards Butler, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 22 July 2002, [2002] 2 All ER (Comm) 957
• McManus and Others v Beckham, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 4 July 2002, [2002] 1 WLR 2982
• R. v Maxwell-King (Paul John), (CA (Crim Div)) Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), 23 November 2000, [2001] 2 Cr. App. R. (S.) 28
• Radio Telefis Éireann v Southern Star Sales Ltd and Others, (ChD) Chancery Division, 21 September 2000
• National Westminster Bank PLC v Purge I.T. and Purge I.T. Ltd., WIPO Case No. D2000-0636 (August 13, 2000)
• John and others v Express Newspapers plc and Others, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 19 April 2000, [2000] 3 All ER 257
• DNV Petroleum Services Inc v CBC Marine Publications Ltd, (QBD) Queen’s Bench Division, 1 February 2000
• Televising Premier League Football Matches, Re, (RPC) Restrictive Practices Court, 28 July 1999, [1999] U.K.C.L.R. 258
• Music Gallery Ltd v Direct Line Insurance plc, (ChD) Chancery Division, 6 April 1998, [1998] E.M.L.R. 551
• MTV Europe (a firm) v BMG Records (UK) Ltd and Others, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 10 March 1998
• R. v Panel of the Federation of Communication Services Ltd Ex p. Kubis, (QBD) Queens Bench Division, 3 September 1997, (1999) 11 Admin. L.R. 43
• Business City Express Ltd, Re, (ChD) Chancery Division, 20 January 1997, [1997] B.C.C. 826
• Direct Line Group Ltd v Direct Line Estate Agency Ltd, (ChD) Chancery Division, 12 September 1996, [1997] F.S.R. 374
• Civil Aviation Authority (with the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation as an intervener) v Internationale Nederlanden Aviation Lease BV and Others [1997] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 96
• Batjac Productions Inc v Simitar Entertainment (UK) Ltd,(ChD) Chancery Division, 8 June 1995, [1996] F.S.R. 139
• Phonogram Ltd. v Def American Inc, (ChD) Chancery Division, 30 August 1994, Times, October 7, 1994
• Internationale Nederlanden Aviation Lease BV v Civil Aviation Authority and European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation [1997] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 80
• Def American Inc. v Phonogram Ltd, (ChD) Chancery Division, 27 July 1994, The Times 16 August 1994
• Direct Line Group Ltd. and Others v Direct Line Travel Ltd. trading as Direct Line Insurance, (ChD) Chancery Division, 19 July 1994
• McDonald’s Corp. and Another v Steel and Another, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 25 March 1994, [1995] 3 All ER 615
• Direct Line Insurance v Lotus Leisure Group Limited and Others, Chancery Division (Patents), 21 December 1993
• News Group Newspapers Ltd v Independent Television Publications Ltd (No.2), Copyright Tribunal, 30 December 1992, [1993] E.M.L.R. 133
• News Group Newspapers Ltd v Independent Television Publications Ltd (No.1), Copyright Tribunal, 20 December 1991, [1993] E.M.L.R. 1
• R v The Independent Television Commission ex parte TVNi Ltd; R v The Independent Television Commission ex parte TVS Television Ltd, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 19 December 1991, The Times 30 December 1991
• Irish Aerospace (Belgium) NV v European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation and Civil Aviation Authority, Queen’s Bench Division (Commercial Court), 6 June 1991, [1992] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 383
• British Broadcasting Corporation & Another v Celebrity Centre Productions Ltd & Another, (ChD) Chancery Division, 27 May 1988
• Dunbar of Kilconzie v Lord Advocate and Another, House of Lords, 17 April 1986, [1986] S.C. (H.L.) 1
• O’Neill and Others v Paramount Pictures Corporation and Others, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 20 July 1983
• Richmark Camera Services Inc v Neilson-Hordell Ltd, (ChD) Chancery Division, 15 April 1981, [1981] F.S.R. 413
• OCLI Optical Coatings Ltd v Spectron Optical Coatings Ltd, Court of Appeal (Civil Division), 28 February 1980, [1980] FSR 227
• Re Allobrogia Steamship Corporation, Chancery Division, 22 February 1978, [1978] 3 All ER 423
• The Mardina Merchant, Queen’s Bench Division (Admiralty Court), 25 July 1974, [1975] 1 WLR 147

Awards

• Head of the Litigation Team of the Year (The Lawyer Awards 2001)

Fellowships

• Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
• Society for Advanced Legal Studies