Shrewsbury law firm demonstrates the importance of legal mediation in resolving business disputes
November 2009
“All too often lawyers can be seen as cynical exacerbators and not healers of disputes, yet in the case of good business lawyers their role can be to act as the commercial mediator between disputing parties to ensure that the business receives a speedy resolution to the dispute and avoids, where possible, the need for costly litigation or arbitration.”
This is the view of Nick Blackbourn, the founding partner at Shrewsbury’s leading commercial law firm, Blackbourn & Bond. With more than 25-years industry based experience,including working with some of the UK’s largest PLCs, Nick knows all too well the benefits of applying legal-mediation to resolve business disputes. This was demonstrated recently when he acted on behalf of a London marketing agency, Space, and provided his commercial experience to help the business’ two partners overcome a disagreement and go their separate ways in a positive and professional manner.
Director of Space, David Atkinson said: “Blackbourn & Bond helped steer us through a recent restructuring of the business which involved a fundamental change of ownership. Not only did Nick provide us with the necessary, swift and practical legal advice, but he was also sensitive to the personal relationship issues, which if they had gone wrong had the potential for being very destructive for our business. Thanks to the wisdom and sensitivity of his advice we were guided through these choppy waters, and are delighted that the business is now forging ahead with a renewed strong sense of optimism.”
Nick adds: “We work with several clients in London and the City; it is a growing area for our business and provides the opportunity for us to apply our specialist experience across a diverse range of industry sectors, Space being a case example.”
The term mediation is used to describe a broad and flexible method of settling disputes as an alternative to the structured approach adopted in litigation and arbitration. Its emphasis is on co-operation rather than confrontation, and maintenance rather than rupturing of business relations. The nature of mediation is to confine the dispute by focusing on the commercial needs of the business, rather than allowing it to become decided by legal remedies; in this way it can be used to maintain business relations rather than damage them. Its major advantage over legal remedies is its speed and cost effectiveness.
Nick Blackbourn
Nick Blackbourn is the founding partner of Blackbourn & Bond and specialises in the corporate finance and company commercial sectors focusing on working alongside clients involved in company acquisitions and disposals, business development, management buy outs/ins, private equity, commercial contracts, Intellectual Property and corporate structures.
For further information visit www.blackbournbond.co.uk