Colin Manning

Colin has been a barrister for over 35 years and has wide experience in litigating commercial and business law disputes involving contract, international trade, arbitration, share purchase/sale, partnership, professional and clinical negligence, entertainment and media (in particular film, music and video rights), building and construction, computer (technical and copyright), landlord and tenant and employment. His practice has led him to travel to Paris, Geneva, Chicago and Sierra Leone.

He has been a Recorder since 2000. In addition, he chairs Primary Care Trust Tribunal inquiries into the fitness of doctors and dentists to remain on NHS Performers’ Lists. He has also taken evidence on commission for use in foreign proceedings.

Colin is a CEDR accredited mediator and is now one of the most experienced and widely regarded commercial mediators at the Bar. His brings to the mediation process considerable knowledge gained from his wide commercial practice. He is able to relate easily to clients and understand their needs, whilst adopting a commercial, realistic, friendly but firm approach. His mediation services are provided by the mediation arm of Littleton Chambers. He is available to provide his services anywhere in the country.

Colin’s interests include amateur dramatics/review writing, performing/directing/producing and singing, photography, music, theatre and film.

PUBLICATIONS AND LECTURES

• Main contributor to the loose-leaf publication Civil Appeals (The Appeal Court: the CPR and the RCJ)
• Assistant Editor of the Civil Practice Law Reports

TRAINING AND LECTURES

• Mediation training lectures and seminars for the Bar ADR Committee, the employed bar and solicitors and via Littleton Dispute Resolution Services Ltd. Of which he is a director.
• Advocacy training in Gray's Inn and for Fresh Professional Development Limited.

MEDIATION

Colin is a committed mediator and offers his services country-wide. As a commercial barrister he brings to mediation over 35 years' experience in litigating a wide variety of commercial and business disputes, from basic contract matters to company and shareholder disputes, building and construction, land and landlord and tenant, professional negligence, entertainment and media and employment. Colin brings to mediation a commercial, realistic and friendly style. He has been described in Chambers Directory as having "a real mediation skill" who makes mediation "rather enjoyable".
Apart from having been a CEDR accredited mediator since 1997, he is also a Panel Member and registered mediator with Littleton Dispute Resolution Services of which he was a founder member. He has also represented parties in mediations, in particular major construction disputes, and advised on the suitability of disputes for mediation. He is a member of the Bar Council ADR Sub-Committee and is now amongst the most experienced barrister mediators recognized by the Bar Council. He regularly presents courses on mediation from the lawyer's perspective to the Bar, including the employed bar, and to solicitors. In addition he has conducted seminars on mediation awareness training to lawyers in London, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge and to foreign lawyers in Hungary. He has recently co-presented a mediation advocacy workshop in Oxford to the Property Litigation Association.
He has developed a large and varied mediation practice, including neutral evaluation. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Recorder. The areas of law in which he has acted as mediator cover a wide range, including:
Recent Mediation Experience

• construction and general building disputes from domestic to major commercial developments;
• partnership/joint venture disputes;
• general commercial disputes;
• international agency/commission disputes;
• computer litigation, including disputes concerning internet rights and liabilities;
• professional negligence, concerning solicitors, accountants, architects and surveyors;
• landlord and tenant act claims and general landlord and tenant disputes, including disputed agreement for a lease and dilapidations claims;
• boundary disputes;
• employment, including unfair dismissal, "whistle-blowing" and discrimination claims;
• share sale/valuation, including breach of warranty claims;
• civil fraud;
• personal injury and contribution matters;
• travel/tour operator disputes;
• trust and inheritance disputes;
• franchise agreements
• commercial publishing agreements

The value of disputes mediated range from £30,000 to many millions and include multi-party mediations. Colin has also acted as joint mediator when required and in “MED/ARB dispute resolution.

FEEDBACK

Examples of feedback from solicitors following Colin’s mediations include the following:

• “Excellent”;
• “First Class”;
• “Impressive”;
• “his services were exemplary”;
• "sensitive and perceptive";
• "focused and realistic";
• “Colin was excellent, sensitive and perceptive”;
• "very impressive - well-judged and constructive";
• "thoughtful, considerate, imaginative and persuasive without being overbearing, 'herding' or patronizing. An impossible gap narrowed with finesse and elegance";
• "friendly, good, effective, commercial and hard-working";
• “Colin was hands on, user friendly, good, effective, commercial and hard-working”;
• “Colin had a good grasp of the issues and was very patient in a case which involved detail”;
• “Very good, he was very helpful and worked very hard to get the dispute successfully resolved”;
• “very neutral and even-handed. Colin was very skilful in asking the appropriate questions (of the clients) to help the process”;
• “This very painful experience for (the client) was very much ameliorated by your very professional, empathetic and sympathetic manner. I am amazed that a case that I would not have given very great odds on settling has resulted in a huge weight being lifted from my client’s shoulders”;
• “Excellent throughout. The mediator was flexible in his approach and provided relevant information in advance and throughout. He remained positive and focused despite it being a challenging day”;
• “Colin had fully acquainted himself with the facts of the case and identified the live issues and, furthermore, adopted a proactive and friendly approach”.

DIRECTORIES

Chambers & Partners UK (Leaders in Mediation)
Havers' Companion to the Bar

QUALIFICATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS

• LL.B (Hons) University College London (1968)
• Called to the Bar - Gray's Inn (1970)
• CEDR Accredited Mediator (1997)
• LDRS Registered Mediator
• Recorder (2000)
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2001)
• Member of the London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association and of COMBAR;
• Member of the South Eastern Circuit.

PROFESSIONAL POSTS

• Member of the Bar Council ADR Committee;
• Affiliate member of the British Computer Society;
• Elected Master of the Bench of Gray's Inn (2003);
• Chairman of the Gray's Inn Barristers' Committee (2002/3);
• Member of the Gray's Inn Management Committee (1999/2003);
• Member of the Bar Council (1997/2003).