Overview
A “cynical litigator”, Jane believes that the majority of cases are suited to mediation. This includes not only purely commercial disputes but also personal injury claims where she would like to see more use made of mediation.
Timing is important. Each party needs to have sufficient information about their opponent’s case to properly evaluate the risks of pursuing or defending a claim to trial and she encourages parties to think seriously about the strengths and weaknesses of their case in advance of the mediation by encouraging them to write these down and to then make full use of these to move the parties towards a settlement.
Mediator appointments include disputes in the areas of personal injury (marine and other and including health insurance issues), professional negligence, property, and general commercial disputes involving a variety of subject matter from horses to pleasure craft.
Pro bono appointments have also involved consumer and landlord and tenant disputes.
Most successfully resolved either on the day or subsequently by telephone.
Experience includes both full length and time limited (court and other) mediations and some telephone mediation. Involved in setting up small claims mediation scheme at Plymouth county Court and participating in mediator rota.
Mediations as advocate include personal injury claims, marine related commercial and insurance disputes and a claim involving a government department.
Specialisms:-
- Marine related litigation in particular. marine related personal injury
- Commercial litigation and arbitration
- Professional negligence
Professional background and Experience
Joined Wansbroughs as a trainee solicitor in 1975. Qualified 1977 and spent 4 years as an Assistant in the Litigation Department primarily undertaking personal injury litigation for insurers.
Break from practice 1980 – 1992 during which time undertook marking work for The College of Law and The Law Society in solicitors’ accounts and civil litigation. At this time also Local Conciliation Officer for the Solicitors’ Complaints Bureau as it then was. Joined Davies Grant & Horton in 1992 in order to specialise in marine-related personal injury claims.
In 1997 became Managing Partner of Davies Johnson & Co on demerger of Davies Grant & Horton.
Experience at this practice includes the following:- Defence of personal injury claims on board fishing vessels, a sail training vessel, small commercial craft, merchant ships, passenger vessels, offshore installations and offshore supply vessels;
- Small amount of claimant personal injury work including work with a foreign element.
- International arbitrations – joint venture, commodity trading disputes.
- Commercial disputes relating to pleasure craft and small commercial vessels;
- Professional negligence claims involving surveyors, insurance brokers and a Government department;
- Marine insurance claims
- Other disputes involving trading contracts
Much of my work involves considering issues of jurisdiction and applicable law. Currently about 80% of my practice is defending marine related personal injury claims.
- Association of South West Mediators panel mediator
- ADR Group Registered Mediator
- Individual member of ADRNet
- Maritime Solicitors Mediation Service (MSMS) – lead mediator
- Local Conciliator, Solicitors Complaints Bureau 1989 - 1993
- President Plymouth Law Society 2000 – 2001
- Member of the Nautical Institute
- Subscriber member YDSA
- Intermediate fluency French and German languages
- PGDip Maritime Law with distinction June 2003
February 2011
