Michael McKitrick

Michael is a Partner at PBW Law. He was appointed to the partnership in 2025 at the age of just 30, making him one of the youngest law firm partners in Scotland. His promotion was reported by Scottish Legal News, and he was subsequently interviewed by the Law Society of Scotland's Journal on his rapid rise through the profession.

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Michael conducts the majority of the firm's criminal trials. He has cases at every level of the Scottish criminal courts, including in high-profile High Court cases. He is particularly known for defending serving police officers and has achieved consistent success. He also represents officers in internal misconduct proceedings and appeals to the Police Appeals Tribunal. He plays a central role in the firm's specialist service to private clients and members of the Scottish Police Federation.

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Alongside Prof Watson, Michael has been one of the leading solicitors in several of Scotland's most significant public inquiries and fatal accident inquiries in recent years, including the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, the Park Inn Fatal Accident Inquiry and the M9 Fatal Accident Inquiry, together with numerous other fatal accident inquiries concerning deaths in police custody. He is currently instructed in the Emma Caldwell Public Inquiry.

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His civil practice is wide-ranging. Michael regularly acts for clients in judicial review proceedings and conducts litigation across various areas including defamation, personal injury, employment, discrimination, negligence, breach of contract and property disputes. Michael plays a key role in the firm's work for insurance companies and large independent Scottish companies. His defamation practice includes acting for some of Scotland's most high-profile business figures and extends to cross-border litigation involving international social media platforms. He has acted for politicians and local councillors and works closely with public relations teams.

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Some of Michael's noteworthy cases include acting in the high-profile litigation brought by the late Alex Salmond against the Scottish Government. He was also the leading solicitor in the landmark Court of Session Allard case, the first of its kind in Scotland, in which he represented nearly 200 clients and recovered millions of pounds in unpaid wages.

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Michael works daily alongside the country's most renowned advocates and King's Counsel, and is a member of Legal Network International, a global network of law firms through which he has access to leading lawyers in many jurisdictions around the world. Within the firm, he plays a significant role in training and supervising our team and is known for his approachability and his commitment to developing the firm's team of litigators.

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Michael graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Law (LLB) and completed his Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. He broadened his studies in 2017 at the University of Shanghai.

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He is recognised for his meticulous preparation and is frequently commended by clients for his support throughout the legal process.