Mike was born in Nichols, South Carolina. In 1969 he graduated from Woodberry Forest School. He completed his undergraduate work at Emory University in 1973, graduating with honors in History. Mike obtained his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1977. Upon being admitted to the S.C. Bar in 1977, Mike worked at the Division of General Services for the State of South Carolina serving as in-house counsel for the State Fire Marshal, the S.C. Manufactured Housing Board, and the Insurance Reserve Fund. In 1979 he entered private practice and focused on governmental law, governmental litigation, construction litigation, and commercial litigation since that time. He works as the Town Attorney for the Town of Surfside Beach and serves as a special prosecutor for the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor in connection with the abatement of public nuisances. In addition, Mike is court certified as a mediator and has been mediating civil court cases in state and federal courts since 1993.

Mike is married to Catherine Easterling Battle. They have three children, James, Mary and Kirk. James and Kirk practice law with Mike at the Battle Law Firm, and Mary is a professor of public history at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.