Neil Goodrum

Practice Areas

CEDR Mediator and member of CEDR’s Training Faculty. Undertaking training of mediators in the UK and internationally.

As a mediator, Neil has extensive experience across many types of disputes having mediated

hundreds of cases over more than 20 years. In addition to commercial matters, these include:

• Agency Agreements

• Commercial Contracts

• Clinical Negligence

Employment & Workplace

• Partnership &

• Property

• Personal Injury

• Professional Negligence

• Sale of Goods & Services

Shareholder/Partnership

• Sports

• Trusts, Wills & Probate

• Utilities

Neil Goodrum is a full-time mediator, CMC Fellow and member of CEDR’s Chambers panel of

mediators. He has extensive experience in mediating disputes in many different industries with

amounts in dispute ranging from relatively modest sums to millions of pounds including via video.

Career

Qualified as a solicitor in 1981.

From 1986 to 2013 Partner in McCormicks solicitors in Leeds and Harrogate. Commercial Litigator dealing with a range of cases including employment, contract, professional negligence, sport and clinical negligence.

Consultant with McCormicks 2013 to 2022

From 2022 – non-practicing solicitor.

CEDR Accredited Mediator in 1997

Independent mediator/trainer since 2013. Mediation work has ranged across all the areas in which involved as a solicitor in private practice.

While working as a solicitor in private practice Neil dealt almost exclusively with contested matters throughout his professional career since qualifying in 1981. Joining McCormicks solicitors in 1983, he was a Senior Litigation Partner for 27 years dealing primarily with disputes in contract and commercial, partnership, employment, professional negligence, clinical negligence and personal injury cases, having initially dealt with commercial fraud and other serious criminal cases.

He is highly regarded for his expertise in sports disputes. Neil is a former Chairman of the Football League Disciplinary Commission.

He is now a non-practising solicitor.

During his time as one of the management partners at McCormicks, he had direct experience of running a business with over 100 employees.

Neil is a lead member of the highly regarded CEDR Training Faculty and has regularly presents

courses on mediation, mediation advocacy, negotiation and dispute resolution both in the UK and abroad. His international experience includes Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Moldova, Morocco, Mongolia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Israel.

Since qualifying in 1981, Neil has dealt almost exclusively with contested matters throughout his

professional career. In the early part of his career these included commercial fraud and other serious

criminal cases. He initially worked in Leeds and then Oxford before joining McCormicks, when the

firm was founded in 1983, and becoming a Partner in 1986.

McCormicks is recognised as a leading sports law firm in the Legal 500 and the Chambers Guide

and has a national reputation in this area. The firm has also been recognised by the Legal 500 and

the Chambers Guide, for its expertise in employment law, media and entertainment law, as well as

a number of other areas.

•July 1995: Higher Courts (Criminal Proceedings) Qualification.

•October 1997: Higher Courts (All Proceedings) Qualification.

•April 2000: Appointment to the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel of Mediators.

•August 2002: Practitioner Member of the Law Society Civil / Commercial Mediation Panel.

•October 2003: Member of the Panel of Mediators for the Court of Appeal Mediation Scheme.

Professional Memberships

CEDR Chambers

CMC Fellow

Association of Northern Mediators

Personal

Neil believes that mediation provides a perfect opportunity for meaningful dialogue, directly or

indirectly, between the parties in a “safe environment”. His style is facilitative, with a willingness to

intervene actively depending on the circumstances of the mediation. He is prepared to persist,

challenge and take a firm approach to focus the parties on resolution, when required.

Clients

•“Neil helped the parties to focus on the critical issues of the dispute and had a calming influence, which helped achieve a settlement.”

•“His positive determination was conveyed in an easy manner and by the patient calmness which continued through the extended hours of his mediation.”

•"He got to the nub of the issues very quickly and painlessly and was very professional."

•"He was an astute man and got on top of what was going to cut the mustard."

•"The individual clients in this case were very hostile towards one another and very difficult, the mediator dealt with the personalities very expertly."

•"He is an experienced mediator who made them all think differently about key issues."

•"He reality tested well and tried to push our client, I assume that he was doing the same with the other side."

•"Neil was very conciliatory and that was a 'good foil' for the two of us."

•"The relationship between the parties was very strained. He dealt with it very sensibly."

•"There was a lot of history to this matter and a lot of animosity, but he controlled that very well."

•"Tempers were running high and parties were frustrated but Neil handled the mediation well."

•“The prospects for a settlement did not seem particularly high at the start of the day. Neil worked well to get the parties together and achieve a settlement.”

Experience

Here are some examples of Neil's Commercial Mediation Experiences:

Commercial Contracts

While working as a practising solicitor Neil dealt with many types of commercial disputes. These

have included bringing and defending matters arising from the breach of commercial contracts, the supply of goods and services and professional negligence matters relating to accountants,

architects, surveyors and solicitors. He has also acted in partnership disputes relating to accountants and solicitors and in claims arising from professional misconduct. Examples of recent cases as mediator include:

• Commercial contract dispute relating to the breach of a multi-party joint venture agreement where the amount in dispute was up to £1 million.

• Dispute relating to a facilities management agreement where the amount in dispute exceeded £2.25m.

Partnership & Shareholder

• A dispute between shareholders in a law firm regarding the funds due to an exiting shareholder.

• A dispute between former business partners regarding an interest in the business.

Agency Agreements

• A dispute between an independent financial adviser and a company, with whom there was an agency agreement, regarding the arrangements following termination of the agreement.

• A dispute between a Commercial Agent and the Principal regarding alleged breaches of and termination of the agreement where the amount in dispute was in excess of £500,00 plus costs.

Sale of Goods & Services

• Dispute relating to the terms of a contract for the transportation of specialist equipment including the basis on which the agreement could be lawfully terminated.

• A dispute regarding a contract to undertake building alteration work at a number of commercial properties owned and operated by one of the parties.

Property

• A dispute relating to a contract for sale of a commercial property where the amount in dispute exceeded £2.75 million.

• Dispute between a landlord and guarantor for a tenant following damage to the rented property.

Utilities

• A dispute regarding the supply of electricity to commercial outlets in circumstances where there was an issue as to whether or not one party was engaged as principal or agent. The amount in dispute between the parties exceeded £1m.

Trusts, Wills & Probate

• Claim under the Inheritance (Provisions for Family and Dependants Act) 1975 where the amount in dispute exceeded £300,000.

• A claim relating to a disputed will and a property transferred shortly prior to death where the amount in dispute exceeded £900,000.

Sport

In his time as a partner in McCormicks, a firm with a national reputation regarding sports law, Neil was actively involved in cases relating to football, cricket, boxing, athletics and swimming. While sitting as the Chairman of the Football Disciplinary Commission of the Football League (as it then was), Neil dealt with cases relating to club finance, player contracts, fielding of ineligible players and supporter conduct and safety issues. Examples of recent cases as mediator include:

• A dispute relating to the contractual arrangements between a football manager and a highprofile football club.

• A dispute between an internationally high-profile footballer and a football agent where the amount in dispute exceeded £2.5m.

Employment and Workplace

Neil is a highly experienced Employment mediator and formerly an Employment Tribunal advocate.

He has dealt extensively in employment law matters, including dismissal, redundancy,

discrimination and transfer of undertakings cases, and has advised on trade union issues. Cases that

Neil has dealt with on behalf of clients have included matters before the Court of Appeal and the

Supreme Court. He has appeared on local television and radio in Yorkshire as an expert in this area.

Examples of recent cases as mediator include:

• Disputes relating to sex and race discrimination involving senior employees where the

amounts in dispute exceeded £1.5m.

• A dispute between a senior employee and an employer in the finance sector regarding

whether and, if so, on what terms he was to leave his employment where the amount in issue

exceeded £1.3m.

• A dispute relating to alleged breaches of a contract of employment and the enforceability of

post termination restrictions where the amount in issue exceeded £1m.

Education