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Catherine Donnelly SC
Catherine Donnelly SC
Specialist areas of practice include administrative and public law, public international law, employment law, EU law, civil liberties and human rights. Catherine is a lecturer in law at Trinity College Dublin. She was adviser to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on the drafting of a new Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, 2008 and adviser to the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, 2007-08. Full professional career details can be found at www.blackstonechambers.com.
Lord Woolf of Barnes
Lord Woolf of Barnes
The former master of the Rolls and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales joined Blackstone Chambers to practise as a mediator and arbitrator in October 2005. He was appointed president of the Qatar Civil and Commercial Court in 2007. Lord Woolf of Barnes is a chartered arbitrator and has been a special adviser to CEDR and chair of its international Conflict Management Advisory Group, launched in 2005. Full professional career details can be found at www.blackstonechambers.com.
Mark Shaw KC
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.
Naina Patel KC
Naina Patel KC
Barrister specialising in administrative/public law and human rights, including immigration and asylum, prison, housing, education, community care, public international law and the use of international law in domestic proceedings, information rights, competition, EU and regulatory law, employment law (including wrongful/unfair dismissal, race/religion and belief/sex/disability discrimination and TUPE) and commercial law. Full professional career details can be found at www.blackstonechambers.com.
Timothy Lau
Timothy Lau
Tim's practice encompasses all aspects of commercial litigation and international arbitration. He is regularly instructed in complex, multi-jurisdictional and high value commercial disputes, which often involves allegations of fraudulent wrongdoing, raises issues of private international law or requires applications for urgent injunctive relief. Tim has particular experience of, and interest in, financial services and energy disputes, and equally enjoys working as a member of a larger team or as sole Counsel.