Blackstone Chambers

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.

1987: Called to the Bar

1988-date: Member of Blackstone Chambers (practising barrister)

1992-2002: Member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Approved Government Counsel (Junior Panel from 1992 to 1997; Senior Panel from 1997 to 2002)

2002: Appointed Q.C.

2005-2015: Special Advocate (security cleared for terrorism cases)

2008: Accredited mediator (CEDR)

2018: Shortlisted for “Silk of the Year” in the Chambers Bar Awards (one of three nominees) in the field of Professional Discipline

2018: Admitted to the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for excellence in mediation and professional discipline & regulation

Mark also has experience working as a lawyer in a law firm in Australia, in local government in England and in the European Parliament.

Italian (oral – fluent; written – good working knowledge)

CMC (Civil Mediation Council)

ALBA (Administrative Law Bar Association – former committee member)

ARDL (Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers – former committee member)

Inner Temple

International Academy of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)

1981-1984: University College, Durham University (BA in Law, First Class Honours)

1984-1985: Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge University (LLM, First Class Honours)

1986: Inns of Court School of Law, London

1987: Called to the Bar, Inner Temple

1987-1988: Pupillage, Blackstone Chambers

2008: Accredited mediator, CEDR