Michael Byrne

After qualifying in 2014, Michael spent over three and half years in private practice before moving in-house in 2018. He spent just under a year at a sub-sea engineering/ defence company, before joining Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2019, initially as a Senior Contracts Attorney in the Biosciences Division’s Licensing and Commercial Supply function. After a year in that role, he transitioned to a Corporate Counsel role in the EMEA Legal Team. When the Coronavirus pandemic was declared in 2020, Michael became heavily involved in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s work with governments, healthcare providers (both public and private) and supranational organisations in the fight against COVID-19. In 2021, in addition to his other responsibilities he was asked to be the legal lead for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Global Health Equity business, whose mission is to enable access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries across the globe.

Outside of work, Michael sits on the Law Society of Scotland’s In-house Lawyers Committee and The Consultative Committee on Commercial Actions at the Court of Session. He is also a non-executive director of a charity, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD).

When not working or volunteering, he spends his time looking after his young family, reading military history and hiking (lockdown permitting).