Mark Shaw KC
Practising KC. (Blackstone Chambers, Temple, London) and mediator. As a litigator, Mark specialises in public law: especially central and local government bodies, professional disciplinary and regulatory agencies, police authorities, utilities and media organisations.
This brings a depth of insight into the legal, presentational, financial, personnel, data protection and policy issues which often tax public and regulatory bodies.
As a mediator, however, Mark’s 15 years of experience has mostly involved private sector disputes in almost every area of law, especially: corporate/partnership, neighbours/boundaries/land, landlord & tenant, commercial contracts, (re)insurance, media, procurement, financial services (workplace, contractual and regulatory/enforcement), health & safety, utilities, schools/universities & clubs, religious institutions, employment, industrial relations/trade unions, misconduct/misfeasance, EU, discrimination/harassment, property development, professional negligence, pensions, adult/child social care, health and family.
Increasingly, Mark is trusted with the more important, high value, high profile and high temperature disputes. They often involve multiple parties, complex legal issues and international dimensions; lasting several days and demanding advanced mediator skills.
Recent mediations include, for example
resolving two long-running industrial relations disputes concerning changes to the pension arrangements for 1000s of public sector workers (including senior judges)
the joint mediation (with Lord Woolf, former Lord Chief Justice) of a dispute over what was then thought to be the largest costs bill in UK legal history (arising from a very substantial negligence/nuisance class action about the alleged dumping of chemicals in Africa)
An overseas dispute about the legality and scale of enforcement action taken by an offshore financial services regulator against traders/companies.
Resolving the allocation of care responsibilities, and millions of pounds in care costs, between four public bodies.
Mark has also acted as a hybrid mediator/adjudicator/visitor for Exeter University dealing with a challenge by the Christian Union to its suspension from the Students’ Union for refusing to allow non-Christian students to become members or leaders, which helped to defuse a judicial review claim.
He has recently also acted as an independent investigator for a major UK professional regulator, reporting on a complaint made by a registrant against the regulator’s head.