I would like to thank Mr Steven Petrie and his team for facilitating our mediation and helping us to come with a solution to our dispute. He exercised a lot of patience before and during the mediation. I am happy we were able to reach an agreement. Thank you so much for a job well done.
Mediation on the other hand has a proven success rate (> 85% CEDR) as a more effective method of resolving disputes. It is a form of assisted negotiation by which a mediation lawyers seeks to assist the parties to narrow the issues and facilitate a resolution. It can be set up relatively quickly, is private, non-binding (if and until a resolution is reached), and offers the parties the flexibility to craft solutions that a court or arbitrator could not order.
We have a number of practising mediation solicitors who, via their extensive training, personal skills, and commercial mediation experience, are able to help parties to solve their problems, break deadlocks, and resolve their disputes. If successful, the parties can then move forward positively.
Cost
If you would like to discuss our commercial mediation services, please get in touch. Our charges are on a case by case basis. Usually fees are based on the value of the dispute.
Read more about some of our mediation lawyers
Tim Toomey
Practice Areas
- Contractual Disputes
- IT and Technology
- Insurance
- Professional Negligence
- Partnership and shareholder disputes
- Landlord and Tenant/Property
Background
My background is in commercial dispute resolution. After qualifying and working in the commercial litigation department of a major International law firm, I went on to found a boutique practice specialising in the IT industry that was rated as a leading practice in its field. For the last 15 years I have been a senior partner in the commercial litigation department of Ward Hadaway, Newcastle.
I have for over 15 years been rated as ‘Leading Individual’ (by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, and the Legal Experts Directory) for my work in technology/IT disputes, insurance and professional negligence. Beyond that I have a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors in all aspects of commercial disputes, including commercial contracts; partnership and shareholder disputes; agency; intellectual property, sale of goods and services; and manufacturing.
Personal Style
I ensure I am thoroughly prepared and have been described as having ‘an easy grasp of the commercial issues’ with a ‘positive, calm and assured manner’. I enjoy working with different personalities, plus helping the parties focus both on what is important to them and what a deal might look like. I then seek to adopt a pragmatic approach in working through the points of difficulty to achieve a successful outcome. This includes continuing to work with the parties to get a resolution over the line if success has not been possible on the day.
Contact details
See below.
Steven Petrie
Practice Areas
- Insolvency and debt recovery
- Breach of contract
- Professional Negligence
- Partnership and shareholder disputes
- Landlord and Tenant/Property and boundary
- Money, wills and inheritance
- All types of commercial disputes.
Background
My background is in commercial dispute resolution dealing with all major litigation disputes. I commenced my legal career in 1995 at a small practice in Newcastle upon Tyne (Linsley & Mortimer). I cut my teeth dealing with all the major industrial disease claims such as asbestosis, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, vibration white finger and noise induced hearing loss claims. I developed an insolvency practice in 2005 and have dealt with many large contentious insolvency disputes.
I have extensive experience in both contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters with a particular focus on contentious matters. I am well known around the country acting for all of the leading insolvency practitioners and have developed a sound knowledge of tracing assets abroad and realising these assets for the benefit of creditors.
As a mediator, I bring my deep understanding of commercial disputes with a natural flair for creating a resolution for all types of civil and commercial disputes.
“Steven Petrie is extremely approachable and works with his clients for the best results” – Legal 500
“…takes client service to another level” – Chamber & Partners
Contact details
See below
Colin Hewitt
I am a Senior Partner and previously led our Company Commercial Team.
I have over 40 years’ experience of advising on commercial and corporate law matters. Although I have been primarily involved in non-contentious matters in recent years, I have also retained involvement in some contentious areas such as commercial contracts, shareholder, LLP and partnership disputes, directors duties, partner and members duties.
My experience in commercial contracts and contract renegotiations, including as part of pre-litigation advice, makes me highly suited to helping parties to resolve commercial disputes in a pragmatic way and finding commercial solutions. I have also advised on procurement matters from both sides and I’m able to provide an insight into public sector contracting in a local authority and an NHS context.
I am recognised as one of the North East’s leading commercial lawyers by Legal 500 and a CMC Registered Mediator.
Experience
Contract claims
Advising on the renegotiation of a contract for the supply of goods where major discrepancies were found in a third party specification on which the supply was based.
Mediating a dispute concerning a design and supply contract where the specification was found to be inadequate.
Advising on the procurement of a long term service contract where a renegotiation was required whilst remaining within the parameters of the procurement.
Shareholder and partner disputes
Advising a shareholder in a group of family businesses which led to a demerger with the members taking different parts of the business with a balancing payment to equalise value.
Advising a shareholder in a fast growing business who had given shares to a third party who took no part in the business for years but who tried to exert influence over the business to benefit his own position, leading to a buy-out on advantageous terms.
Advising a partner in a family partnership at will which was terminated and left multiple claims with creditors and between the parties to be resolved.
Advising a member of a legal LLP concerning the failures and misdeeds of other members of the LLP and various claims arising and negotiating the terms of departure of the client to another firm.
Resolving a dispute concerning a family business by creating a structure whereby the younger generation of shareholders held control of the day to day business but significant value was retained by the previous generation with their shares to be acquired over time.
Resolving an intense shareholders dispute by establishing a structured approach to a sale of the company as a going concern on the open market and thereby avoiding litigation.
Viv Wild
Solicitor and CEDR accredited and CMC Registered Mediator
After a very successful career spanning more than 20 years as one of the region’s leading private wealth solicitors and ranked as a Legal 500 leading partner in her field, I am now also a CEDR accredited and CMC Registered Mediator, specialising in mediating private wealth disputes and navigating a route to workable settlements. I am one of only a few practising private wealth solicitors who are also a CMC Registered Mediator.
I am renowned for my reputation as a powerful player in the private wealth arena. I am well-known for my pragmatic, solution-driven approach as a private wealth solicitor, and I adopt this method when mediating disputes.
Mediation Practice Areas
- Contentious probate and intestacy disputes
- Contentious trust disputes
- Inheritance Act claims
- Validity of Wills
- Shareholder and director disputes
Mediating style
Your choice of mediator is an important one.
Having prepared thoroughly for the day, I will listen to the parties and their lawyers and really get to the bottom of what lies behind each party’s version of events.
I am adept at working out quickly what stance to take and how to steer a way through what will have already become a difficult case, calmly adopting a different approach to the mediation depending on the needs of the parties, yet remaining neutral and unbiased at all times. I will be neither a go-between nor overtly aggressive, yet will challenge and reality test when appropriate.
I work with the parties, enabling them to visualise the outcome within a protected environment and enabling them to identify what needs to be achieved to reach their settlement.
Even at the end of the mediation, I will continue to work with the parties to settle the dispute if it doesn’t settle on the day.
What else do I bring to the mediation?
- Tenacity
- Energy and determination
- Put clients first and make them feel at ease
- Flexible and adaptable, positively trying a range of strategies to reach a pragmatic resolution
- Proactive in helping clients find their settlement.
“Vivienne Wild … is very experienced in wills and trusts. She is very detailed, but has the ability to explain complex situations in simple terms…Vivienne Wild’s extensive knowledge of trusts is invaluable, and she explains complicated tax matters in plain and understandable terms.” Legal 500 2025, Leading Partner, Personal tax, trusts and probate.
CMC Registration Number 2315.