Gary Webber

TYPE OF MEDIATION

Civil/Commercial

Professional Background

Gary was previously a practising barrister for 22 years specialising in property law.

Gary is the author of Business Premises: Possession and Lease Renewal, 7ed (Sweet & Maxwell) and co-author of Residential Possession Proceedings, 10ed (Sweet & Maxwell). He is an associate member of Tanfield Chambers and for 19 years sat as a Deputy District Judge.

Gary has extensive experience, both as a barrister and as a mediator, in a wide range of commercial and property disputes:

Landlord and tenant disputes (commercial and residential)
Telecoms disputes
Building Safety Act
Disputes involving boundaries, rights of way and other easements
Conveyancing and misrepresentation claims
Restrictive covenants
Property joint ventures
Co-ownership and trust disputes
Property related negligence claims and other areas of property law
Various commercial disputes

Gary also has a great deal of experience in family disputes having mediated many cases between parents and children, siblings, separating couples and divorcing partners. Much of this work has related to the dissolution of family businesses, co-ownership, inheritance and administration of estates.

Location

Gary lives in Bristol and mediates primarily in London, the South West, the Midlands and Wales.

Mediation Style

Gary’s style is relaxed, friendly and empathic. He calms things down and listens carefully so as to understand what the parties really want and need. He focuses on solutions and steers the parties in that direction from an early stage in the mediation.

He is exceedingly patient but will speak plainly when required. His background in property law allows him quickly to grasp any technical issues, reality test where necessary, suggest possible solutions and to help with the practical matters that arise during drafting. Except in limited circumstances he is not the sort of mediator who goes on late into the night.

Accreditation

Gary Webber is trained both as a commercial and civil mediator and as a family mediator. He was accredited as a mediator by the ADR Group in 2003 and has a diploma in Group facilitation, Conflict Resolution and Counselling Skills. He continually seeks to develop his skills and bring these experiences to his mediations. Gary is a Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council.

Testimonials

“ .. one of the best mediators around – totally lacking in ego, thoughtful, quietly charismatic, and very sensible.”

Legal 500

“Gary's preparation was meticulous, he understood both parties positions and was able to call on this knowledge seamlessly throughout. After a lot of progress was made early in the day, and deadlock was inevitably reached, Gary was very proactive and positive; the flipchart would be a constant reminder of what had already been achieved and how much both parties were compromising.”

Warren Reid, Ashfords

“Gary demonstrated enormous ability to deal with very difficult individuals positively, focussed relentlessly on moving towards chinks of light for a solution and combined highest level EQ and IQ in mediating”

Client

“My client was very impressed with the way in which Mr Webber handled what was a very emotional situation for her. He brought a real calm to what had been a long running and acrimonious dispute. Mr Webber is a first class mediator.”

Samuel Waritay, Barrister

“My clients and I were delighted with the sensitive but businesslike way you dealt with the mediation, grasping the important key points at an early stage and maintaining pace and progress throughout, towards the eventual (seemingly inevitable) development of a mutually acceptable settlement.”

James Taylor, Wards

“I was so grateful and so appreciative of all your efforts to reduce the tension I was feeling. I felt truly listened to. You’re a wonderful mediator – patient and unfailingly kind – and it must tax your patience sometimes. I’m deeply grateful to you for all your gentleness and kindness – it made what would otherwise have been unbearable, bearable.”