Stuart Chapman A former partner and litigation head at Pinsent Masons LLP‘ Leeds office, Independent Mediators‘ Stuart Chapman is ‘an excellent commercial litigation mediator – a go-to choice for cases of value or of complexity. Stuart is always well prepared, and has the ability to get to the heart of the dispute and adapt his approach to fit both the issues in the case and the parties’. Conducting over 700 mediations since he began mediating in 2008, Chapman mediates general commercial, construction, insolvency and insurance claims. A mediation Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council, he is also appointed to resolve partnership, professional negligence and shareholder disputes.

Rebecca Clark Joining Independent Mediators in 2023, Rebecca Clark is ‘calm, but forceful when required. She has a great grasp of the detail and issues within cases, and is very good at challenging a party’s position in a measured and balanced way’. Former Chair of the Civil Mediation Council, Clark mediates commercial disputes involving shareholders, insolvencies, warranty claims, and breaches of contract and duty. Leveraging her former role as litigation head at UK Asset Resolution, she is particularly experienced in financial services, professional negligence and regulatory litigation. Clark is also sought after for her SME and family business mediation experience.

Phillip Howell-Richardson Phillip is ‘an extremely personable mediator, who gains all parties’ trust quickly and has a very polite and helpful demeanour, which is very useful in mediation contexts’. Mediating since 1991, and full-time since 2005, Howell-Richardson’s experience includes claims over commercial contracts, international disputes involving governments, banking and finance issues, fraud, and insurance matters. He also mediates in relation to professional negligence claims, insolvencies, engineering, real estate, IP, sport, employment, and oil and gas-related disputes. Howell-Richardson’s expertise additionally covers group actions involving both large and small numbers of claimants.

Kate Jackson Qualified as a lawyer both in England and Wales and New York, ex-Magic Circle litigator Kate Jackson of Independent Mediators‘ is ‘a first-class mediator. She is exceptionally well prepared, bright, grasps the issues quickly, and explains points well to the parties‘. Increasingly mandated to resolve high-value, high-profile cases, Jackson recently mediated over 40 commercial mediations in a 12-month period. Such appointments included multi-party and multi day mediations, both in the UK and internationally. In addition to her enviable commercial mediation practice, Jackson mediates specialist areas such as technology, private client, sports, art, and media.

Michel Kallipetis KC The former head of Littleton Chambers, Independent Mediators’ Michel Kallipetis KC is ‘an extremely capable mediator with both gravitas and empathy. He cuts through to the nub of claims and can sift through quantities of documents to get to the key points’. Kallipetis mediates disputes concerning partnerships, banking, insurance and re-insurance, as well as employment matters involving racial and sex discrimination claims and pension rights. He also assists with disputes over solicitors and valuers’ negligence claims, medical negligence, personal injury, construction, engineering, and large-value commercial disputes. Averaging approximately 80 mediations a year, Kallipetis has been appointed in over 1,750 mediations during his career.

Jonathan Lloyd-Jones Practising exclusively with Independent Mediators since 2012, Jonathan Lloyd-Jones is ‘unflappable – determined to do all that he can to help achieve resolutions, he is able to gain the trust of different types of client’. Lloyd-Jones’ caseload covers a wide range of commercial areas, including negligence claims against a range of professionals, from solicitors, accountants, IFAs and insurance brokers to architects and surveyors. He also mediates insurance industry disputes and is experienced in claims for fraud-based restitution, breaches of restrictive covenants by departing employees, insolvency disputes, and construction and property matters. A qualified commercial mediator since 1991, Lloyd-Jones has been appointed in over 900 mediations to date.

Mark Lomas KC A full-time mediator since 2009, Independent Mediators‘ Mark Lomas KC is ‘a truly excellent mediator. He has gravitas and he works hard to analyse and understand the issues in the case. This allows him to be very effective in getting the parties to face the reality of their situation‘. Averaging approximately 70 to 80 mediations each year, Lomas’ recent appointments concern professional negligence claims against solicitors, accountants, architects, construction professionals, financial advisers, and insurance brokers. He is also experienced in insurance, probate, property, trust, commercial and insolvency disputes. Also an associate tenant of Littleton Chambers, Lomas took silk in 2003.

Bill Marsh A full-time mediator since 1991, Bill Marsh at Independent Mediators has ‘every tool at his disposal as a mediator. He puts all parties at ease, talks common sense, and gets results using his intellect and skills‘. Marsh’s wide-ranging experience encompasses commercial disputes, both in the UK and internationally, in relation to commercial contracts, product liability, professional negligence, and shareholder issues. His track record also includes mediating disputes over sports, medical negligence, personal injury, pensions, IT, shipping, and insurance and reinsurance. At an international level, Marsh’s track record includes disputes in India, France, Canada, US, Switzerland and Spain, as well as Italy, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the Balkans.

Andrew Paton  A former partner at Pinsent Masons LLP, Independent Mediators‘ Andrew Paton ‘develops a great rapport with clients. He won’t allow mediations to flounder, rather he keeps parties laser focused on achieving a deal‘. With approximately 1365 mediations to date, Paton regularly mediates over 60 cases per year. In a recent 12-month period, half of Paton’s mediations concerned professional negligence claims in relation to solicitors, barristers, accountants, architects, engineers, surveyors, financial advisors, and insurance brokers. CEDR-accredited since 1993, Paton also maintains a highly active construction mediation practice, and is regularly appointed for insurance, property, shareholder, tort, trust and commercial law-related mediations.

Jane Player Appointed directly by corporations, in-house counsel and leading law firms, Jane Player of Independent Mediators is a ‘superb, go-to mediator for her no-nonsense and direct style. Her willingness to challenge parties and not shy away from asking difficult direct questions is very refreshing’. A full-time mediator since 2017, Player focuses on general corporate and contractual claims, and fraud and project-related disputes, as well as pharmaceutical, energy, technology, IP, and media-related claims. A former King & Spalding LLP partner, Player also has notable experience in international dispute resolution, including the management of the cross-cultural aspects of joint venture and international shareholder disputes.

Stuart Chapman 
“I was confident he would go the extra mile calmly and professionally to try to make sure a deal was reached.”
“He’s a pleasure to work with.”
“He approaches things in a clever way and navigates people to the right solution.”
“The experience in him shows and he is very good at managing expectations.”
“He is very much one of the top mediators.”
“He has a charming bedside manner but knows when to put his foot down.”
“Stuart is a go-to mediator.”

Rebecca Clark
“She judges when to intervene beautifully and she uses clever mediation devices to resolve the issues at hand.”
“She’s excellent at people management and understanding the human element.”
“She’s a really excellent mediator who keeps it simple.”
“She helps parties think more laterally.”
“Rebecca is a very thoughtful and calming presence.”

Phillip Howell-Richardson 
“He has a really nice light touch and a lot of emotional intelligence.”
“He’s very good at getting people together.”
“He’s very practical and has good legal knowledge too.”
“He is a very safe pair of hands and he can build trust and rapport quickly.”
“Phillip is very experienced, calm and measured.”

Kate Jackson
“She is savvy, measured and commercial.”
“She could adapt her tactics to push through a deal positively.”
“Her demeanour was very calming and professional.”
“She is the best mediator I’ve come across.”
“She is very impressive.”
“She’s a brilliant mediator who always gets good results.”

Michel Kallipetis KC 
“He is charming and very bright.”
“He is the grandfather of mediation and a bit of a wizard.”
“He’s really capable and experienced, which is inspiring.”
“He’s been at the top of this game for a long time.”
“He is prepared to go the extra mile to see if a deal can be done.”
“Michel is a very strong mediator and invariably on my recommendation list.”

Jonathan Lloyd-Jones
“Jonathan has a very easy manner with people and works hard to achieve settlements.”
“He helps build momentum, even when difficult issues are in play.”
“Jonathan is approachable, commercially focused and empathetic.”
“He is number one in his field, in my view, and is fantastic with clients.”

Mark Lomas KC 
“None of the parties are disappointed at the end, as he always gets them to where they should be.”
“He can gently suggest things to people to lead them.”
“He is razor sharp and knows his stuff.”
“He is one of the most technical mediators I have come across; he can cut through huge swathes of material to get to the salient points.”
“He is possibly the best mediator in the business.”

Bill Marsh 
“He is a big name in the market and works really hard.”
“He is very good for more commercial clients and disputes.”
“He is very pragmatic and outstandingly successful at bringing parties together.”

Andrew Paton 
“He was open, hard-working and really prepared to listen.”
“He was very proactive in getting the deal done and getting the parties to focus.”
“His ability to show sensitivity and understanding to clients is a standout trait.”
“Andrew is really good and gets straight to the point.”

Jane Player
“She is good at following up and trying to find the right solution for clients.”
“Jane is a very good mediator.”
“She is excellent; she is one of the top names that always come up in this field.”

Jane Player is listed in the Trusts Mediators section of this guide. With feedback praising Jane as “a very experienced and successful mediator.”

See below quotes from Who’s Who Legal on each of our mediators. Click on the mediators name to take you through to their profile page and CV.

Stuart Chapman
“Stuart is calm, measured and authoritative”
“He tailors his approach depending on the room to increase his impact”
“He impressively marshals opposing sides to settlement”

Rebecca Clark
“Rebecca is personable and effective”
“She can express herself very well”
“She is skilled at getting to the nub of the dispute”

 Phillip Howell-Richardson is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader.
“Phillip is very experienced and effective”
“He is a generous contributor to the field”
“He is a well-regarded mediator”

Kate Jackson
“Kate is well respected in the industry”
“She is energetic and empathetic”
“She instilled confidence with the client and was able to direct the mediation efficiently”

Michel Kallipetis KC is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader.
“Michel is the king of mediation”
“He has vast experience in the field”
“He is a well-respected name in the industry”

 Jonathan Lloyd-Jones  is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader.
“Jonathan is commercial, personable and fair”
“He is an extremely experienced mediator and a pleasure to work with”
“He is a strong supporter of other professionals”

Mark Lomas KC
Receives acclaim for his “meticulous preparation when identifying the issues of a dispute” and his “very organised approach to negotiation”.

Bill Marsh is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader.
“Bill is a fantastic practitioner”
“He is a true leader, a talented mediator and an inspiration in the field”
“He is great all around”

Andrew Paton
Favoured for his personable and intelligent approach to professional indemnity and construction negligence disputes.

Jane Player is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader.
“I highly recommend Jane”
“She is cool under pressure and very well prepared”
“She has an excellent reputation in the market”

WWL Thought Leaders is a new section which was launched in 2017. Who’s Who Legal explain this new feature as ‘bringing together for the first time the insight, expertise and wisdom of some of the world’s foremost practitioners. The individuals invited to participate in Who’s Who Legal: Global Elite Thought Leaders are individuals that are worthy of special mention owing not only to their vast expertise and experience advising on some of the world’s most significant and cutting-edge legal matters, but also their ability to innovate, inspire, and go above and beyond to deliver for their clients.’