Going to court should often be seen as the last resort. A skilled mediator will help you to find an amicable, private and satisfactory solution.
Park Square Barristers offers the mediation services of a team of barristers with experience of mediating civil disputes of all types and sizes. We offer the use of pleasant and private mediation rooms in the centre of Leeds, just a few minutes’ walk from the train station or multi-storey parking.
Our mediation specialists deal with disputes involving property (including landlords and tenants); boundaries and rights of way; families and their finances; business agreements; employment, leases; and neighbours. They can also handle cases involving personal injury, professional negligence, probate and trusts, company disputes and insolvency matters.
What is mediation?
Mediation can be a fast, satisfying and cost-effective way to resolve domestic and commercial disputes without having to go to court. Mediation uses an independent third party, such as a barrister, to help the parties negotiate an agreement. Any signed agreement is then binding on all parties, and can be enforced by a court.
Why use mediation instead of the courts?
- It’s faster (usually a few hours to a day), and therefore much less expensive
- Some courts will expect you to go to mediation first, and there may be financial penalties if you don’t
- Mediation is private, so it’s less stressful and helps avoid unwelcome publicity; also, no one else will know the terms of the settlement
- Mediation can be very useful in highly emotional disputes
- It keeps communication open, enabling everyone to be heard
- It helps make it possible for relationships to be maintained afterwards
- The outcome is approved by everyone involved, not imposed by a judge
- Mediation has a very high success rate
- Negotiated settlements are likely to be observed, so there’s less chance of having to go back to mediation or to the courts
- Even if a settlement isn’t reached, it isn’t the end: you can still turn to the courts (and nothing discussed in the mediation can be mentioned in court).
Why use a barrister to mediate?
- Barristers are accustomed to rapidly arriving at the facts, strengths and weaknesses of a case
- They will aim for settlement, but not at any cost
- They can ensure that any settlement won’t breach the law
- They are more likely to ensure fairness.
What does it cost?
Please contact the Clerks (details below) for further information.
Please click here for information on our Online Dispute Resolution team.
For further details please contact one of mediation clerks.
Who can mediate for you?
The following Park Square Barristers are trained and highly experienced in resolving disputes through mediation:
Andrew Lewis KC
Andrew was called to the Bar in 1985. He was appointed a Recorder in 2001, Queens Counsel in 2009 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2010. He has vast experience of conducting mediation’s, particularly in personal injury and professional negligence disputes.
Andrew has specialised in all areas of personal injury and clinical negligence work since joining the Bar. Having recently stepped back from his very busy Silk’s practice, which largely consisted of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy claims, Andrew now concentrates on working as an Evaluative Mediator in personal injury and clinical negligence claims. He is an Accredited Mediator with the Society of Mediators and has successfully worked as a Mediator and Evaluator for many years, creating protocols and providing training for an independent mediation and evaluation provider.
Andrew has for very many years been routinely noted in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners Directories as a band 1 Silk, with a skill set suited to conducting mediations: He has been noted as: ‘one of the most approachable silks in the country’ providing ‘meticulously thought-out advice’, ‘remarkably pragmatic, user-friendly and terrifically strong on his feet’, ‘Exceptionally gifted and tremendously astute’ ‘Very smooth, confident and always prepared within an inch of his life.’ ‘He is fantastic with clients and is able to simplify complex things. He is very user-friendly.’
David Rose
David was called to the Bar in 1977 and was accredited as a mediator in 1999. Since then, he has accumulated a wealth of mediation experience. He is a strong choice for disputes involving wills and trusts, landlords and tenants, professional negligence, partnership and company disputes, and property issues such as easements, restrictive covenants and boundary disputes. Read full profile.
John Boumphrey
John Boumphrey was called to the Bar in 1992. John is a keen advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution and is an accredited mediator. He undertakes mediations in all areas of civil law but is a strong choice for personal injury, employment and commercial law cases including; contract, media, intellectual property and sports. Read full profile.
Darren Finlay
Called to the Bar in 1994, Darren has considerable experience of mediation’s, especially in commercial matters including disputes between rival recruitment businesses, leasehold and property agencies; disputes between landlords and tenants; and arguments over the dissolution of businesses and between company directors. He has taken part in a number of successful ‘self-mediation’ sessions, where both sides cut out the (sometimes expensive) middle-man by agreeing a structured joint settlement meeting at which each party agrees to looks at the pros and cons of each other’s cases, and/or engage in round-table idea-generating sessions to bring new perspectives and creative solutions to settlement discussions. Darren will either act for parties or as a facilitator in mediation’s. Read full profile.
Richard Paige
Richard was called to the bar in 1997 and appointed a Recorder (Civil) in 2019 and is an accredited mediator with the Civil Mediation Council (2021). He is able to undertake early neutral evaluations (ENE) and mediations in all areas of Civil law, particularly personal injury and clinical negligence. He is a former contributor to Butterworth’s Personal Injury Litigation Service and is ranked in the top tier of the Legal 500 directory and also Chambers and Partners. He has a interest in developing ODR (online dispute resolution). Read full profile.
Richard is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
Paul Dunn
Before being called to the Bar in 2011, Paul was a solicitor for 11 years. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the Association of Northern Mediators, and the Standing Conference of Mediation Advocates (SCMA). He is accredited by the Centre of Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and ADR Group. Read full profile.
Enquire about mediation:
Senior Civil Clerk – Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252
Civil Clerk – Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609
Civil Clerk – Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246