My friend Mike Karin, a journalist and lawyer, who has died unexpectedly aged 59, worked at Loaded magazine at the height of its success in the 1990s, and later became a partner in a law firm in Thailand.
Born in London, Mike was the son of Michael Karin Sr, a businessman, and Maureen (nee Gentle), whose jobs included running a tea room. He was brought up in various locations in east Africa and the Middle East, returning with his family to London in the 80s, where he went to St Angelo prep school in Ealing, and Forest school in Epping, then studied law at Ealing College (now West London University).
Mike was a highly competent vinyl DJ, resident at Lucky’s in Ealing from the age of 18 onwards, when he and I first met as he dated my friend Lucy. He worked in a variety of jobs while qualifying as a barrister, and was called to the bar at Gray’s Inn in 1993.
In his 20s and 30s he juggled DJing with the law. He could be obstinate – only eating chicken phall, drinking full-fat Coca-Cola and smoking red Marlboro. He barely drank alcohol and did not suffer fools gladly.
I started at Loaded in 1994 and Mike joined the magazine two years later at my suggestion, swiftly moving from temporary to permanent staff. He helped start Loaded’s website and eventually became the site’s editor, also writing for the magazine. Mike then moved on to writing longer features and interviews.
He was instrumental in setting up the network for Loaded’s computers – a godsend in an age of tech-rawness – and installing games, generally violent, that the editorial team often enjoyed late into the night.
On leaving Loaded in about 2000, Mike continued to write as a freelancer, and to travel. He lived in Atlanta, then Los Angeles, where he began a relationship with Joanne Rogers. He wrote for the Times, GQ, Vogue and Arena. For YearZero magazine, he produced 5,000 words on the death of Biggie Smalls.
Mike moved to Bangkok in 2003. He started at the law firm Siam Legal following a chance encounter at a bar. Before long he was made a managing partner. He advised the Australian government on extradition, worked on major telecoms companies disputes, and in 2012 was central in a multi-million-pound landmark commercial case that ended up at the UK court of appeal, concerning the rights of commercial agents.
He returned to Los Angeles, and married Joanne in 2019. She survives him, as do his parents and his sister, Salma.
