Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Commercial Law
Company Law
Mediation or Alternative Dispute Resolution
Professional Negligence

Biography

I am in my 35th year of continuous practice. Fourteen of these have been at the Senior Bar. I have oral advocacy experience of Criminal Law, Public Law, Tribunals, all aspects of Queen’s Bench and Chancery civil proceedings. I have also served 28 months as Counsel in a Public Enquiry. A large part of my practice involves commercial/construction disputes and clinical/professional negligence. I have represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants. I also have long established experience of all aspects of advisory and court based Chancery work. In 2000, as part of modern practice, I underwent specialist training with the Centre for Dispute Resolution, London. I am an accredited CEDR Mediator, a Member of the Dispute Resolution Service, Belfast, the Mediators Institute of Ireland, Dublin, the Academy of Experts, London and the Barrister Mediation Service. Since 2000 I have completed fifty ADR processes under be-spoke contracts in a wide range of civil, commercial and employment disputes.

Qualifications

1976 - University of Dublin, Trinity College B.A

1978 - Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University of Belfast – Certificate of Professional Competence

1979 - University of Dublin, Trinity College M.A. 2000 - Centre for Dispute Resolution, London- Accredited Mediator

1999 - Trained and qualified as an Advocacy Trainer

2001 - Dispute Resolution Service, Belfast- Registered Mediator. 2005 - 2008 Member of Bar Council and Chair of Advocacy Committee

2010- Mediators Institute of Ireland, Dublin, Certified Member

2012 - Academy of Experts, London – Qualified Dispute Resolution Member

2012- Member of Barrister Mediation Service

Experience

I regularly appear before superior Courts/Tribunals and provide opinions on matters of doubt or difficulty. These services enhance and add value to the analysis, assessment, preparation and presentation of a client’s case. In modern practice I am engaged as an advocate in litigation and I also provide ADR processes as an integral part of the civil justice system . I have completed 44 appointments as a Mediator and I have also represented parties engaged in ADR processes.

HM Customs & Excise v- McKee ( 2004) CA

Attorney General’s reference no 2 & 3 of 2005; in re Mahood, David Lawrence & anor [2005] NICA 39; [2006] NIJB 208

McKittrick v Commissioners of Customs and Excise [2006] NICA 19; [2007] NIJB 21

McConnell & Larmour v Bombardier Aerospace/Short Brothers PLC [2008] NICA 50

Andrew and others v McDonald – Local Government Auditor [2008] NIQB 70

A v A Health Trust [2011] NICA 28; [2012] NI 77

Mooney, Winifred v Keys, Derek, Faller, Dermot & Maiden City Development Ltd [2012] NICh 23

Publications

2001 - 2013 - Lecturer in QUB/SLS course on Civil & Commercial ADR processes

2006 - Lecture to Judicial Studies Board on developing ADR processes

2012 - Confidentiality in Mediation- The Writ

2012 - ADR Processes in the Commercial Court- Lecture for QUB/ SLS