Personal bio
Experiences: I was fortunate to be appointed to deal with one of the first arbitrations in this jurisdiction and have worked hard since then to create an efficient process that will meet the needs of clients and those representing them. In that first arbitration, we operated by meeting and also conference call and further managed costs by papers-only submissions rather than a hearing. Since then I have been involved in a further 30 or so arbitrations – as the solicitor acting for one party or as the arbitrator, mostly “papers” only and creating significant savings for clients in terms of stress, time and cost. I was one of the conducting solicitors on the case (S v S [2014] EWHC 7), which saw the President giving a strong endorsement to the process. As at Jan 2022, I have provided outlines and quotes in rather more than two hundred cases and conducted/ am conducting 20 arbitrations as the arbitrator (so don’t feel bad about making the enquiry; I am used to it and also to the low conversion rate from enquiry to case. I have the same experience when acting as the solicitor!). Of those: two relate[d] to children and the rest were finance-related most involved in person meetings but with the final stages conducted by paper submissions two involved in person hearings (one at our offices and one on-line) most involved parties represented by solicitors – many with counsel too – a few have involved parties “in person” few involved significant assets: the motivation was often the low cost of arbitration to deliver fair conclusion to stuck cases that would otherwise advance through the courts at disproportionate cost. The arbitral option: I am an enthusiast. I believe that the circumstances will be rare where arbitration does not offer an easier, safer, faster and more cost effective process towards an outcome that is more likely to feel satisfactory for the clients.