Phillip Howell-Richardson

Practice Areas

Phillip is one of the UK’s most experienced and widely respected commercial mediators. He has over 30 years experience of mediating the most complex cases in the UK and internationally.

Phillip specialises in international commercial disputes, financial and insurance disputes, and group actions. International disputes include multi-jurisdiction and multiparty disputes, some already in arbitration; and a seven-year, several-phase mediation of an investor/state dispute. Commercial disputes include joint venture disputes, infrastructure disputes and commercial contract claims. Financial disputes include loan default, interest swap claims, insurance liability and coverage disputes, and company finance disputes. Group actions include community nuisance claims, airliner crash claims, product liability claims and financial product claims.

He has mediated disputes involving governments, global corporations, private companies, trustees of offshore, trusts as well as individuals. Cases have included claims at all levels up to several billions of dollars; the restoration of complicated commercial arrangements; and claims by very large groups of claimants. He has mediated disputes in France, Norway, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Africa, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong – as well as the UK, where he is based.

He was one of the first European mediators to be invited to join the International Academy of Mediators as a fellow, and was a member of its board. He is a member of the ICC and its mediation panel, and has supported the ICC International Commercial Mediation competition in every year of its existence. He is a mediation fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of many international mediation organisations; and he lectures and teaches in several countries. He was one of the first European mediators to be invited to join the International Academy of Mediators as a Fellow and is now a member of it’s Board. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Career

In 2010 Phillip joined Independent Mediators as a full time mediator. He became a full time independent mediator in 2005. At the same time he became a consultant in ADR with KWM SJ Berwin LLP a leading city law firm with a worldwide presence and he became the head of their ADR Unit which had a long standing reputation for leadership in mediation and ADR.

Previously Phillip was a Partner in Morgan Cole for 23 years and led their commercial litigation group for 12 years as well as serving as a member of Morgan Cole’s main board.

Phillip qualified as a solicitor in 1975. Phillip first became an accredited mediator with ADR Group in 1991 and subsequently became their chairman for 14 years. He is also an accredited mediator with CEDR, an accredited mediator with the Hong Kong International Mediation Centre and a Court of Appeal mediator from that scheme’s start. He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Professional Memberships

- Member of the International Chamber of Commerce Mediation Panel

· Mediator member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation

· Member of Sport Resolution (UK) panel

· Member of the London Court of International Arbitration

· Member of CMAP, Paris

· Fellow of the Institute of Professional Development, London

· Mediator member of Resolving Commercial Disputes, led by Institute of Chartered Accountants

· International Mediation Institute Certified Mediator

· Fellow of CMC

· Distinguished Fellow and Board Member of the International Academy of Mediators

· Fellow of CIArb Mediator member of Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Publications

Talks and Training Phillip has given include:

“The Development of Mediation in Europe and Norway” talk in Oslo to law firm and its clients.

“Trademark litigation and ADR” conference for business leaders and lawyers with a demonstration mediation in Brussels.

The Queensland Bar Association ADR Conference at Noosa, Queensland. Three talks given over the weekend conference on European Developments, Techniques and Ethics.

Presenting at IAM Conferences in Paris and San Francisco on advanced negotiation techniques and international developments.

Training members of HMRC in the process of mediation and mediation techniques.

“The Mediation Directive: What will it mean for us?” debate hosted by Phillip Howell-Richardson with guest speakers Sir Henry Brooke and Michel Kallipetis.

“Mediation – what is it and what can my business get from it?” conference for business leaders organised by the Confederation of Danish Industries at their offices in Copenhagen.

“The New EU Mediation Directive: What does it mean for you?” held at a University in Brussels as part of a seminar with the Association of International Arbitrators.

“Mediation as a method of resolving commercial disputes” mediation conference held at the Moscow District Arbitration Court by Phillip Howell-Richardson and other members of SJ Berwin.

The IAM held its first international conference outside the US in London in September 2009. Phillip took a leading role in the creation of the conference which brought together more than 100 of the best practicing mediators from throughout the world. During the conference Phillip conducted a live interview of Lord Woolf.

On the 30th Anniversary of CPR in January 2009, Phillip spoke at the main conference as part of a panel of expert international mediators.

Books/articles:

Contributor to several publications including the chapter entitled “Concluding the Mediation” in the definitive work “Mediators on Mediation” published by Butterworths.

Author of several articles including “Europe’s Changing Mediation Landscape”, a definitive article dealing with the content and likely impact of the European Mediation Derivative, “Getting Past Impasse”, and “Representation Skills for Successful Mediation”.

Industry Sector Expertise

A brief overview of areas of practice

Banking and finance

Commercial contracts

Commercial fraud

Company / shareholders

Competition

Construction / engineering

Defamation

Employment

Franchise

Group Actions

Insolvency

Insurance / reinsurance

IT

Intellectual Property

International disputes

Local and national government

Oil & Gas

Partnerships

Pensions

Personal Injury

Probate / trusts / estates

Product liability

Professional Negligence and Professional indemnity

Property

Regulatory

Sport

Transport / logistic