John was accredited as a mediator by CEDR in 2005. He completed MATA’s Advanced Mediator Training Course in September 2007 focussing on cross-cultural disputes and multi-party mediations amongst other topics. He is an active promoter of mediation. He is a founding member of the Planning Mediation Working Group of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He is a member of the Bar Council’s ADR Committee and chairs the Planning and Environment Bar Association’s ADR sub-committee. As a practising barrister, John brings to his role as a successful mediator his professional experience, gained over the last 30 years, of dealing with a wide range of clients and issues. He has been involved with mediations relating to a diverse range of matters including:
- breach of contract
- community and church differences
- landlord and tenant
- neighbour disputes
- personal injury compensation
- planning and compulsory purchase
- professional indemnity
Arising from his practice John’s specific sector experience includes working with:
- Central and Local Government
- Environmental, Health and Heritage NGOs
- Utility and Transport undertakers
- Waste and Minerals Operators
- Property and construction firms
- Educational bodies
- Charities
John was called to the Bar in 1977. Although he has a background in general civil litigation he has, for the last twenty years, practised mainly in the field of town and country planning, with related environmental, local government, parliamentary and property work, for the private and public sectors, and for interest groups. He has been the originating author and editor of several books for practitioners including Sweet & Maxwell’s “Shackleton’s Law of Meetings” (11th edn. 2008) and “Neighbours and the Law” (5th edn. 2009).
