Dispute resolution

I have more than 30 years’ experience as an expert witness, adviser and determiner of disputes in a range of commercial and regulatory environments. In 2009, I qualified as a mediator.

Expert determination and tribunals

Simon is alert to the “people” issues as well as intellectual ones. He looks for reasons why a situation has arisen. Nigel Macdonald, Coca-Cola Hellenic

  • Former member of the Financial Reporting Council’s Tribunal Panel and the Institute of Actuaries Disciplinary Tribunal
  • Former member of Nominet’s Panel of Experts determining disputes over .uk domain names
  • Expert determiner for a dispute between the trustees of two merged pension schemes

Example mediations

It was what it said on the label … professional and above all successful.
Mediation Client

  • Negligence claim against a financial professional, complicated by the fact that the amount claimed was in excess of the PI cover in place
  • Breakdown in relationship between management consultant and public sector client: the case was settled by finding a way to enable the client to derive additional value from the work done prior to the dispute
  • Dispute between online retailer and search engine consultant

Expert financial analysis

Simon is razor sharp and ruthlessly logical.
Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, Redington Investment

  • Enabling a bank to reduce its losses on a portfolio of leases by identifying alternative negotiating positions
  • Developing financial models for the analysis of equity release mortgages and investment mis-selling
  • Quantifying the losses suffered by participants in an investment fund whose shares had been mis-priced

Dispute resolution background

I led the UK forensic accounting practice at Ernst & Young and subsequently at an international firm of economic consultants.  I have served three terms as a member of the Institute of Actuaries’ disciplinary tribunal and two terms on the Financial Reporting Council’s tribunal. I also served two terms as a member of Nominet’s (domain registrar) panel for determining disputes over domain names. More recently, I was a panel member with Cambridge Mediators for general commercial mediation, as well as a couple of pro bono providers, LawWorks and Wandsworth Mediation Service.

I have also experienced the High Court from the litigant’s perspective, in a David-and-Goliath dispute as chairman of a not-for-profit company suing a multi-billion pound, multi-national corporation.