Independent Mediators are very proud to announce that all nine of our members have been listed in tier one of the mediators section in the new edition of Legal 500 released this month. This is a tremendous achievement for all.
We are delighted with the rankings and are extremely grateful to all our instructing solicitors and clients for their support in helping us to both achieve and maintain them.
Full listings for each of our Mediators can be found below. You can also click through to the mediators individual page (click on their name) to download their CV and see more information.
Independent Mediators’ ‘genial‘ Charles Dodson ‘combines excellent and wide-ranging technical background with a determined ability to instil quietly and confidently an air of practical realism in any mediation; he is also charming and energetic, doesn’t get bogged down in detail and constantly strives to keep things moving in a positive direction’. In 2017, Dodson was particularly busy mediating cases relating to professional negligence claims involving solicitors, surveyors, valuers and other construction professionals, financial advisers and insurance brokers; the balance of Dodson’s mediations were spread between construction, insurance and partnership, but he also mediated disputes in pensions, probate, insolvency, freight handling, franchising, inheritance, engineering, farm tenancy, government contract, software design, distribution and agency agreements, and business sales.
‘Highly recommended to those thinking about mediation’, Phillip Howell-Richardson at Independent Mediators ‘comes across as very calm and approachable and has a very good bedside manner’. Others report him to be ‘an excellent mediator with a disarming and effective style as well as being always diligent, resourceful and excellent with clients’. Howell-Richardson has over 28 years experience of mediating the most complex cases in the UK and internationally. His workload covers commercial claims, banking and finance, professional negligence and insurance; he has also mediated disputes involving IP and IT, employment, partnerships, property and construction, and probate.
Independent Mediators’ ‘calm, considered and prepared’ Kate Jackson is ‘excellent in pointing out weaknesses without prejudicing her independence; she focuses on the commercial benefits of reaching a settlement and the fact that both parties need to move from their preferred positions in order to bridge gaps’. A full time mediator since 2009, Jackson recently mediated over 50 complex commercial mediations in a one-year period, with her clients ranging from large public and international companies to individuals with personal grievances. Examples of her expertise include commercial, banking and employment disputes as well as insurance, insolvency, property and IP-related matters.
At Independent Mediators, Michel Kallipetis QC‘s ‘experience is unrivalled; he is a senior statesman in the UK mediation market whose gravitas as well as legal expertise puts parties at ease and naturally diffuses tensions’. Kallipetis’ recent mediation experience involved professional negligence claims against solicitors, accountants, architects and other construction professionals, financial advisers and insurance brokers; he also mediated claims involving construction, oil and gas, insurance, property, commercial, employment, fraud, insolvency, partnerships, personal injury, and probate.
The former chairman of Blake Lapthorn (now Blake Morgan LLP), Jonathan Lloyd-Jones at Independent Mediators is ‘a very intelligent dispute resolver who is able to grasp complex and detailed information very quickly and takes control of the mediation without being overbearing; he is also a highly charming individual who makes what can often be a fraught experience relatively painless’. Lloyd-Jones has acted in approximately 600 appointments during his mediation career and his practice covers a wide range of commercial topics, including claims for restitution based on fraud; breaches of restrictive covenants by departing employees; and professional negligence claims against solicitors, accountants, architects, surveyors, independent financial advisers, and insurance brokers. He is also often involved in insolvency, construction and property matters.
Independent Mediators’ Mark Lomas QC is ‘one of the best mediators around; he has gravitas and quickly gets to the heart of what has to be done to resolve a dispute and is dogged in seeking a settlement, often going well beyond his original brief if permitted by the parties to do so’. One of the UK’s busiest commercial mediators, Lomas averages 90 mediations a year; he regularly acts as sole or lead mediator in mediations, covering a wide variety of disputes in areas including commercial contract, professional negligence (against solicitors, accountants, architects, financial advisers and insurance brokers), insurance, banking and financial services, general common law disputes, construction, probate, and trusts.
Independent Mediators’ ‘thoroughly recommended’ Bill Marsh is ‘excellent; he combines a strong intellect with a pragmatic, commercial manner, and deals with difficult and highly sensitive situations with pragmatism, tact and good humour’. Marsh’s mediation practice covers a broad range of commercial disputes (both UK and internationally), including commercial contracts, product liability, insurance and reinsurance, and professional negligence claims. Additional areas of expertise include shareholder, sports, medical negligence, pensions, IT and shipping disputes.
Independent Mediators’ Andrew Paton ‘has an engaging but firm style and does not take any nonsense; he is always on top of the documents, identifies the key issues, keeps mediations moving at a good pace, never gives up, and will remain involved even if the parties do not settle on the day’. Paton undertook a total of 54 mediations in 2017, with just under half of the mediations relating to professional negligence claims involving solicitors, barristers, accountants, architects and other construction professionals, financial advisers and insurance brokers. The balance of his work was evenly spread between construction, insurance, property and commercial matters, but Paton has also mediated unfair prejudice, employment, public law, insolvency and Inheritance Act cases.
Independent Mediators’ Nicholas Pryor ‘really impresses with his ability to cut through difficult situations and get parties talking; he is extremely commercial and parties are made very aware of the financial implications of continuing with claims and the risks involved. He also spends considerable time on the phone to parties in advance of mediations to tee matters up, meaning that parties can really make the most of the mediating day when Nicholas focuses minds on settlement’. Pryor has been appointed in over 1,250 mediations during his mediation career and over half of his practice covers a range of UK-based and international commercial issues, with a further 25 per cent involving insurance and professional negligence matters.