Bike accident claims the life of "gifted" barrister

Barrister Leslie Michaelson was killed in a road accident last Wednesday on his way to chambers.

He had been due in the High Court to work on a partially heard case and had been cycling into work when the accident, involving a lorry, occurred.

Michaelson, who came to London from South Africa in 1973, had been a member of Enterprise Chambers since 1987 and specialised in commercial Chancery litigation.

James Barker, a friend and fellow tenant at Enterprise Chambers, described Michaelson as a "supremely gifted barrister" who "having come late to the Bar, had developed an excellent practice". He added: "He was hugely respected both in chambers and in Lincoln's Inn generally."

Initially a chartered accountant in South Africa, Michaelson first worked in life assurance and international trade finance when he arrived in London. In 1983, he started to read for the Bar and commenced practice in 1987, joining Enterprise Chambers in the same year.

Michaelson, who was 48, was married with two children.