About us

Michaela founded Beyond Compliance in 2009 and leads its compliance and advisory work. She is a qualified solicitor with over 30 years’ experience in the legal services sector, 17 of them specialising in outcomes-focused and risk-based regulation. She advises solicitors and barristers, and the law firms, chambers, SRA regulated entities and BSB entities they practise through, so much of her work sits across both regulatory regimes and at the points where the two meet.
She has practical experience of taking clients through regulatory applications and authorisation frameworks, and of building the competence arrangements that sit behind them, including supporting clients to become AETOs and accredited Public Access Training Providers. She is widely regarded as a trusted adviser and critical friend on regulatory practice, risk management and compliance, and is particularly well known for her work at the Bar. Alongside that she conducts risk and compliance auditing, advises on business process improvement, and is a business development and performance coach who delivers bespoke training and coaching on a wide variety of topics.

In July 2026 Michaela was appointed to the Bar Standards Board’s Advisory Pool of Experts (APEX) in the field of regulatory practice, a panel the regulator draws on for specialist input across its regulatory work. She advises and writes on regulation in an independent capacity, and her commentary is not published on behalf of the BSB.

Michaela is a regular speaker and contributor on regulatory policy and practice. She has spoken at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum on legal education, training and ongoing competence, and at leading legal services events including the Legal IT Business Show and the Legal Futures Conference. She has delivered seminars and webinars for MBL Seminars, participated in Legal Services Board project reference groups, and has been commissioned to write for Counsel magazine.
Her early career included 13 years in fee-earning and management roles  including at Beachcroft LLP (now DAC Beachcroft), as a solicitor and graduate trainer and latterly as Quality and Audit Manager.

Michaela holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Wolverhampton and the Legal Practice Course from the University of Central England, both completed part-time whilst building a career in the legal sector. She is a strong advocate for social mobility and accessibility to the profession.

As a solicitor, Michaela conducts herself in accordance with professional obligations set out in the SRA Standards and Regulations. For more details on the company’s regulatory status, click here.

Michaela is a qualified Mental Health First Aider