Robin Somerville - Resolving Legal Problems

I help businesses and professionals resolve their legal problems

A Direct Access Barrister

Do you need a direct access barrister to advise about a legal problem or someone to represent you in Court, before a Tribunal or professional regulatory hearing or as a mediation advocate representing your interests at a mediation?

Support at Court Hearings

Want to check my availability to attend a Court hearing? Do you need some legal or strategic advice? Would you like me to send you a fee proposal?

Call 020 8242 4106 Or contact me for my availability and costs

Combining my previous experience of being a successful business owner with legal knowledge, skill and experience enables me to provide holistic and pragmatic advice. I strive for consensus, and consensual dispute resolution but make robust and grounded decisions when consensus is beyond reach.

Commercial and Technology Background

Prior to qualifying in law, I was a money market trader in the City of London before setting up, growing and successfully selling three technology start-up businesses. For over 13 years I was an equity holding director of one of the UK’s leading online price comparison sites.

Examples of how I have helped my clients include helping a business and its supplier resolve a long-standing dispute so successfully that they entered into a new two year supplier contract, a technology business resolve its professional negligence claim with its accountants, a senior account director at a recruitment firm settle their unfair dismissal claim, two business partners settle a four year shareholder dispute, a solicitor settle a claim by a medico legal report writing supplier.

My clients appreciate my focus on problem solving and finding solutions to legal issues and disputes. I am at my best at times when clients are facing crisis or radical change where they benefit from my strategic and analytical focus and calm approach.

I can help with everything small or medium sized businesses and professionals need:

Professional Regulation, Conduct and Discipline

I have represented professionals and regulators from a wide span of specialisms including accountants, surveyors, education and health care.

Furthermore, I have acted for clients facing a wide span of conduct allegations including sexual misconduct, dishonesty, clinical and language competency before tribunals of first instance, appeals and at the High Court.

With over 13 years’ experience, I have chaired, sat on or case presented fitness to practice hearings for regulators including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Construction Industry Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (General Medical Council) and others. I am a member of the Association for Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers.

I have been chair of the board of an educational establishment and a non-exec and audit chair of a large NHS organisation that commissions over £500 million of healthcare services for over 369,000 patients.

Professional Regulatory

I run the regulatory community resource website www.fitnesstopractise.net and have produced a professional regulatory ‘Periodic Table’. I have delivered board and panel training to a number of leading regulators and regulated commercial organisations in the UK and abroad and has re-written of a number of codes of conduct including for statutory regimes requiring approval by the relevant Secretary of State.

My vast experience means I am available to advise or represent registrants, act as case presenter or legal assessor in respect of any of the following:

Professional and Academic Qualifications

Education

Masters in Law (LLM) – International and Comparative Dispute Resolution
Accredited Investigator – Employment and workplace investigations
Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC – Post Graduate Barrister Training)
Bachelor of Laws (LLB/GDL)
Accredited Mediator – Civil and Commercial, Family – ADR Group.
BA (Hons) / Diplome de Commerce

Professional

Professional Regulatory Fitness to Practise Tribunal Chair/Member
Accredited Civil and Commercial and Workplace Mediator and Mediation Advocate
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
Arbitrator – ADR Group
Ombudsman – Financial Ombudsman Service
Associate – Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
Fellow Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Civil Mediation Council
Honourable Society of Lincolns Inn
Board Member Arbitration Club – Technology Branch
Society of Computers and Law
Chartered IT Professional of British Computer Society
Association of Regulatory Lawyers
Chair of the Board – Barnfield College.
Non-exec Board Member for Governance and Conflicts of Interest and Chair of Audit Committee – Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group.
Independent Member – Chartered Banker Professional Standards Board.