About Andrew

A civil and commercial mediator who specialises in technology disputes but is happy to consider mediating most types of dispute either remotely using online platforms, or face to face. Andrew combines a highly commercial approach with a pragmatic attitude. He is extremely effective at keeping all parties focused on finding workable solutions. He is recognised by The Legal 500 as being “personable, articulate and a good listener…”.

Long experience of the costs, risks and stresses faced by clients when embroiled in disputes led him to appreciate just how effective a tool mediation can be. He strongly believes that mediation can provide a more satisfactory, longer lasting and less costly resolution to practically any civil or commercial dispute. He has been mediating disputes for many years – even before fully recognising the process was a complete discipline in its own right. With mediation, Andrew believes it is possible to settle most disputes with all parties feeling they have won something and gained a fair settlement, whilst minimising the chances of residual antagonism between the parties. At the very least, all parties will have had the chance to be properly and empathically heard. He gains particular satisfaction from seeing parties start the process with low expectations and then helping mediation weave its particular “magic”.

Andrew has legal and engineering qualifications and is accredited as a civil and commercial mediator by Align Mediation.  Over the last 30+ years he has developed a successful legal practice dealing with contentious matters in the broad field of technology, and in that time has conducted many settlement meetings, mediations and commercial negotiations. He mediates from his base in the North Cotswolds and is registered as a mediator with the Civil Mediation Council.

As well as being a registered mediator, Andrew still practises as a Patent Attorney. Andrew is highly numerate and readily understands complex technology and contracts. He also has a thorough understanding of the psychology of relationships and disputes. So far in his career, as well as dealing with cutting edge inventions and technology, he has started, grown and sold businesses and operated in Managing Director, Managing Partner and Chair roles. He has also regularly been involved with technology procurement. He is comfortable reading legal, technical and financial documents and expert at distilling these down to the salient points, in clear language.

Andrew is also a qualified conflict coach and community mediator and works with Mediation & Community Support (MACS) in Warwickshire, applying transformative mediation techniques to workplace and community conflicts.

Before training as a lawyer, Andrew worked as an engineer in the space and automotive industries: writing software for the European Space Agency and working in R&D for an automotive OEM. He then gained dual legal qualifications to become both a Chartered UK Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney and continues to practise as a partner at Cleveland Scott York LLP in the engineering, automotive and software/electronics sectors. He is also an authorised representative at the European Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the UK Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC).

At AM Mediation, Andrew brings his technical and legal expertise to bear on civil and commercial disputes that do not primarily involve Intellectual Property. For Intellectual Property disputes, he mediates through Cleveland Scott York LLP.