Practice Overview

Rob is an experienced mediator (50 plus mediations, 90% settlement rate). An expert in engineering and construction projects.  He also has wide experience of a whole range of civil and commercial disputes, including, but not exclusive to personal injury, professional negligence, landlord and tenant, property, boundary/right of way, contested wills, partnership and IP. 

Rob’s approach is based on seeking to understand each side’s positions, feelings and interests.  He helps each to achieve clarity, and to focus on the key issues.  He prepares thoroughly and will always go the extra mile before and after the session to get the deal done.

Professional Background

Rob Langley M.A. is a qualified Solicitor and Barrister, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also by invitation a Fellow of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies. Rob is committed to alternative dispute resolution, and he also works as an Adjudicator and Arbitrator.

Rob was initially a Barrister, but is interested in the human side of the legal process, and re-qualified as a commercial Solicitor. His main legal practice is in commercial, engineering and construction contracts.  He also has experience of the management side of law practice and served a term as Senior Partner of a big regional law firm with 300 staff.  During his tenure the firm expanded into London and then went through the recession.  His experience of management, and his continuing experiences as the father of 3 teenagers have sharpened and informed his approach to ADR. 

As a construction lawyer he has acted on very many projects, large and small, including oil and gas fabrication, power station construction (Zimbabwe), subsea cables, hospital design and build, major civil engineering works, power generation (Jersey and Guernsey), energy from waste, airport terminals, hotel developments, shopping malls, housing estates, apartment blocks, procurement challenges, party walls, and even boundary problems.

Endorsements

 "I thought you were very good and made my first experience of mediating very memorable." (Mediation Client) 

"Rob dealt very effectively with our mediation by Zoom. I found the pre-mediation Zoom call that he arranged for the solicitors particularly helpful.  This meant we knew what to expect and could confidently guide our clients through the process. It was clear that Rob had prepared very thoroughly for the mediation so he could quickly steer the discussions to focus on the sticking points. His calm manner and perseverance helped us to reach a good resolution"  (Womble Bond Dickinson) 

"Rob was extremely helpful, approachable and worked very hard to get a successful outcome for the parties". (DAC Beachcroft) 

“Rob has the gravitas to earn the respect of the clients and the energy and desire to ensure that, if a settlement can be reached, then it will be.”  (Gibson & Co)

"Rob's deep knowledge of the law and ability to think laterally and creatively made a big difference to our dispute. He puts a lot of energy into the process and kept us going and pushed through to a successful conclusion even when we were sceptical about making any further progress."

"Rob was very well prepared and quickly focused on the key issues that really mattered."

Other experience

Rob’s practice covers a wide range of disputes from heavyweight financial disputes, engineering claims and professional negligence cases through to small claims and domestic disputes.

• Dispute over software copying and copyright ownership between two design houses; very large petrochemical project.  Solution involved mutual assistance and a new JV.
• Long-running, and bitter professional negligence claim between a businessman and his commercial property solicitor.  The Claimant was a litigant in person who became very frustrated and repeatedly threatened violence.  Settlement and closure was eventually achieved after numerous walk-outs.
• Solicitors' partnership dispute where the former partners were unable to speak to each other or even be in the same room, resolved after a close and objective examination of the partners' partnership accounts.
•  Inheritance dispute over contested will between a number of brothers and sisters in a large family where again the parties felt so strongly that they would not meet in a common session, and freely accused each other of fraud.  Successful agreement concluded.
• Technical final account evaluation dispute involving alleged wrongful suspension and repudiation.  Project was for refurbishment of several hundred dwellings.
• Intestacy dispute between a second wife (the widow) and children of the previous marriage; again the parties could not and would not meet each other, but eventually were helped to find a compromise and resolution, despite very deeply held emotions.
• Measurement and non-delivery dispute relating to civil engineering materials including technical issues of measurement but also quality of work, and materials analysis.  Successfully resolved. 
• Large variation claim and corresponding defective works counterclaim between main contractor and developer on a new apartment building.  £5m dispute, successfully settled.

Personal Interests

Rob finds further mediation opportunities in family life with 3 sons, lives in Newcastle, and studies ocean navigation and Spanish in his spare time.