Independent Mediators are very proud to announce that all nine of our members have been listed in the top bands of the mediators section in the new edition of Chambers and Partners 2018 released this month. This is a tremendous achievement for all but particularly for Kate Jackson and Jonathan Lloyd-Jones who have moved from band two to band one.
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.
The “extraordinarily able” Charles Dodson is considered “an effective, practical, experienced and realistic mediator” who is “congenial and very pleasant to work with.” He is an experienced practitioner whose practice includes appointments on a range of commercial matters including contract, insurance, professional negligence, banking and pension cases. He practises both domestically and internationally, and is especially experienced with the North American market.
Phillip Howell-Richardson garners a great deal of admiration from market sources, with sources saying he is “very diplomatic and approachable” as well as “serious and respectful to the parties.” He has expertise in high-value commercial, finance and insurance disputes and further experience in fraud, employment and construction cases.
Kate Jackson is a leading mediator, admired for her “very calm, authoritative, confident and assertive” demeanour. She can draw on a wealth of experience when mediating general commercial, banking and finance, tax and professional negligence disputes. Further expertise lies in her understanding of media and entertainment, and in IP cases. One source attests: “Kate was one of the main reasons that a volatile personal situation was reduced to a sensible commercial agreement.”
Michel Kallipetis QC is an impressive mediator whose “gravitas and presence are ideal for a mediation,” according to interviewees. One source comments: “He has a super-sharp mind and high intellect so he gets the issues quickly, and has a calm and warm approach that puts everyone at ease. He gets the best out of all in the room, which is a remarkable ability.” He handles a range of cases, including trusts, employment, professional indemnity and insurance disputes.
Jonathan Lloyd-Jones is an excellent and “very personable” mediator, whose “relaxed and friendly” approach has earned him the respect of peers and instructing parties alike. He is experienced in mediating a host of commercial disputes, including professional negligence, fraud and employment issues. One commentator notes that he is “incredibly practical, and when the chips are down and it looks a million miles away from settlement he always has an idea to get it over the line.” He is increasingly engaged for property and construction disputes.
Mark Lomas QC is a highly sought-after mediator who is regularly chosen for complex and high-value disputes. He is acclaimed for his work in professional negligence matters and has substantial experience in commercial contract and insurance disputes. One source appreciates that “you can always rely on him to get the difficult cases over the line. He has fantastic gravitas and is extremely clever.”
Bill Marsh is a first-rate mediator who has long been utilised by domestic and international clients to handle a diverse range of sophisticated commercial disputes. Areas of particular strength include acting in professional negligence, contract, IT and shareholder disputes. He receives instructions to mediate cases in a number of foreign jurisdictions, including in Europe, North America and Asia. One observer attests: “He was polite, realistic and courteous with our client. He is relaxed, knowing and has gravitas.”
The “robust and quick-thinking” Andrew Paton has extensive experience in a number of fields including construction, insurance and commercial contract disputes, with particular expertise in professional negligence claims. He is also engaged to mediate employment, unfair prejudice and insolvency cases. One source enthuses: “He has lots of energy and a great attitude. He gets into details at the right level and will be quite creative where creativity may have stalled. Clients respect his opinions.”
Nicholas Pryor is “incredibly experienced and a very good judge of how and where cases should settle,” according to one interviewee. Another market source admires that “he gains the confidence of the parties and their advisers, so they feel that he is trying to find the best solution to meet their needs and requirements.” He is routinely chosen for complex disputes and has recently been appointed to banking, IT, property and professional negligence cases.