Commercial dispute resolution experience
I have worked on many insurance disputes, including policies for Business Interruption, Property, Cyber, Professional Negligence, Directors & Officers and Personal Injury, and commercial disputes including Breach of Contract, Fraud and Shareholder & Partner Disagreements.
Through this work I have been involved in hundreds of settlement meetings and many mediations, all of which have given me invaluable experience on how to identify key issues, underlying interests and negotiate a workable settlement. Notable mediations include:
- Breach of contract - a claim for non-payment and a counter claim for damages between a professional cycling team and corporate sponsor.
- Breach of sales agreement - a claim for non-payment of deferred sales proceeds and a counter claim for damages due to alleged misrepresentation in respect of land purchased by a residential property developer.
- Broker negligence - denial of Business Interruption insurance claim for a 100 year old hotel
- Subrogation claim - recovery of insured and uninsured losses for a printing press business
- Claim against HMRC - civil action against HMRC for damages as a result of alleged wrongful seizure of business assets
- Broker negligence - denial of Property and Business Interruption insurance claim for livestock putdown as a result of flood water
- Denial of liability - Property and Business Interruption claim for a transport & haulage company
Industry experience
Through my time working for insurance companies I've had the opportunity to meet with many small and large companies, both in the UK and oversees, and discuss their business operations, markets, strategies and financial projections. I have also worked with shareholders and partners in a large number of different businesses. As a result, I have a wide range of industry sector experience to draw on.
Other roles and interests
I am a volunteer community mediator for Devon Mediation Service, a charity that provides free or low-cost mediation services to help resolve disagreements between neighbours, colleagues, family and friends.
Outside of the world of disputes, I am a partner in Rogue Opera LLP with my wife, Bronwen Stephens-Harding. Our mission is to take opera to a wider audience and we bring re-imagined performances to non-traditional spaces. You may see us in a pub garden, small community theatre or country house. I assist with the commercial aspects of the business and occasionally join the summer tour as a sound engineer!
I am also a Director of Rogue Opera Outreach CIC, which is a not-for-profit organisation that takes Opera productions, creative educational workshops and artist training to underserved communities and schools.
In my spare time, I'm a keen runner and cyclist and I firmly believe you can never have too many bikes! I also enjoy exploring Dartmoor with our two fabulous whippets.
Professional qualifications
