Practice Overview
Paul aims to balance the therapeutic benefit of allowing parties to get things off their chests with firm but non-confrontational reality testing. As a lawyer with nearly 30 years of litigation experience he knows the financial risk and emotional stress litigation brings to most clients. Interested in the psychological drivers underlying disputes Paul actively works to encourage parties to identify where their true interests may lie and to achieve a negotiated outcome.
Professional Background
Paul Newman is a barrister in private practice, specialising in construction and property law. He advises across a broad range of construction disputes, including standard and non-standard contracts. Paul’s property cases include rights of way, boundary and party wall disputes. He combines Court and arbitration hearings with mediation and adjudication.
Over the last decade Paul has been involved in more than 150 mediations as mediator or advocate. Though his mediation practice is substantially based on construction and property disputes, he has also mediated disputes in other sectors - general commercial (e.g. franchising, sale of goods and partnership), personal injury and libel.
Endorsements
“We would like to thank you for your valuable contribution you made toward the litigation we were recently exposed to. Your quick grasp … proved a real salve and we are both very grateful”
“It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday and on behalf of this firm and the parties, may we take this opportunity of thanking you for your assistance and perseverance throughout the day.”
Other experience
Paul was called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1982 and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He speaks fluent French and German and has a good knowledge (including written) of Spanish.
He has lectured on mediation in the UK, Belgium and Sweden. He is the author of numerous articles as well as being the author of or a contributor to several books on ADR.
Personal Interests
Married with two sons Paul enjoys travel, country walking, reading (especially history), keeping a watchful eye on the progress of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and working on a novel.