Nick Pearson

Practice Areas

Nick mediates a wide range of mediations (including many multi-party) specialising in corporate and commercial disputes, with particular experience in cross-border claims, breaches of contract, partnership and shareholder disputes, trusts, probate, insolvency, professional negligence, fraud, and claims in the corporate and banking sectors. Amounts in dispute have ranged from £30,000 to £100 million.

Key Sectors:

• Commercial contracts

• International Claims

• Insolvency

• Partnership & Shareholder

• Banking and Finance

• Corporate Disputes

• Professional Negligence

• Property

• Employment

• Public Sector

• Contentious Trusts, Wills and Probate

• Facilitation/ Neutral Chairing

Career

Solicitor, Herbert Smith, London, 1974-1979; Partner and Head of Global Dispute Resolution Baker & McKenzie 1979-2007, practising in Hong Kong (1979-1988) and London(1988-2007).

Licensed Insolvency Practitioner 1993-2004

Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal 2006-2010

Accountants’ Joint Disciplinary Scheme 2006-2010

Nick Pearson practiced as a solicitor in the UK and internationally for over 30 years in the dispute resolution field including a significant period based in Hong Kong. Since 2007, after retiring as a partner and the Head of the Global Dispute Resolution practice at Baker & McKenzie (over 700 disputes lawyers in over 35 jurisdictions), Nick now pursues an independent mediation practice, and for any years has been recognised as a leading mediator by Chambers and by The Legal 500.

Described as calm and enthusiastic, patient but firm, Nick has a good understanding of the legal process, client’s needs, lawyers’ responsibilities, client relations, the costs and time which disputes take and the flexibility and effectiveness of mediation as a method for finding resolution. He is keen to work with the parties to tailor the mediation process to the specifics of their dispute.

He brings to the mediation many years of experience as a lawyer, as a manager, as a problem solver, and relationship builder, and has considerable experience in problem solving for a wide range and background of parties.

Professional Memberships

Fellow, Civil Mediation Council

UK Law Society/ Solicitors Regulation Authority-non practising solicitor 2007-to date

Association of Southwest Mediators

CEDR Chambers 2011-to date

• Member of CEDR Chambers-2011-to date;

• Member of Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal - 2006 to 2010;

• Member of the Executive Committee of the Accountants' Joint Disciplinary Scheme -2006 to 2010;

• Member of Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS);

• Chairman/ Committee member of the Association of Southwest Mediators - 2009 to date;

• Secretary and Trustee of charitable trusts connected with former College, Lincoln College, Oxford University.

Personal

Tennis

Pickle ball

MCC

Hiking, gardening, travelling

Family

Languages Spoken

French-conversational

Experience

Nick has mediated cases in the many areas.

• In a wide variety of contractual and tort claims, including contractual interpretation and construction, termination provisions, breach of warranty, misrepresentation, and negligent misstatement.

• Claims for royalties under international licence agreement.

• Cases involving allegations of fraud and corrupt practices, forgery, bribery, extortion, economic duress and malicious falsehood.

• Claims relating to the sale of goods and services in various sectors-eg, healthcare, commercial, building.

• Disputes relating to the provision of IT services, and many in the building and construction sectors.

• Various distribution, agency and franchise agreements - domestic and international - and including claims relating to Commercial Agents.

• High value VAT dispute involving HMRC and concerning recovery of input tax.

• Dispute between service provider and NHS trust concerning the provision of telephone and TV services to patients.

Claims range from several thousand to many millions of pounds. Many also include insurance related issues and parties, and many involve a foreign element.

A keen advocate of online mediation, his practice continued mostly on Zoom during the Covid pandemic, during which he built up considerable experience in managing a large number of virtual mediations and helped to bring cases upon which he had been instructed to a successful conclusion

Nick has a lifetime of practical experience in handling disputes both in the courts and through arbitration in the UK and around the world.

• Partner Baker & McKenzie 1982-2006;

• Chairman of Firm’s European Dispute Group, and Head of Global Dispute Resolution Practice (over 700 dispute lawyers in over 35 different countries);

• Baker & McKenzie, Hong Kong 1979-1988;

• Herbert Smith, solicitors, London 1974-1979;

• Licensed Insolvency Practitioner 1993-2004;

• Trained and CEDR Accredited Mediator 2003 to date;

Education