EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has instructed Travers Smith to defend him with regards to a lawsuit brought against him by Bird & Bird for a six-digit sum of unpaid fees.

The dispute between Sir Stelios (pictured) and Bird & Bird arose after the law firm was instructed by easyGroup IP Licensing in 2008 to advise on Sir Stelios’s brand dispute with the airline over the use of the easyJet name.