Michael Padfield
Biography
Michael Padfield is the Director and Deputy Head of the Attorney General’s Office, appointed in May 2025.
Prior to becoming Director, Michael was General Counsel in the Prime Minister’s Office in No10 Downing Street from Autumn 2023, where he advised on a wide range of domestic and international legal issues. Before that, Michael was Head of the Domestic Law Team in the Attorney General’s Office from December 2021, leading a team that covered all public law and criminal law advice to the Law Officers. Between 2014 and 2020, Michael worked as a lawyer in the Government Legal Department litigation division, HM Treasury, and the Home Office, before joining the AGO for the first time in 2020.
Michael started his legal career in the City of London, qualifying into commercial litigation before moving to join what was then the Treasury Solicitor’s Department.
Director and Deputy Head of the Attorney General’s Office
The Director is Deputy Head of a team of 55-60 legal, policy and corporate professionals, who support the Attorney General and Solicitor General across the range of their functions.