Mark Lomas QC is hanging up his wig to join Independent Mediators as a full-time mediator from 1 June 2009. The move follows 28 years at what is now Littleton Chambers, where he was known as a professional negligence specialist. In recent years, Lomas has become increasingly visible as a mediator, described in The Legal 500 last year as 'tough', 'rigorous' and 'principled', and 'knocking on the door of the top tier of mediators' 

 

Talking to The Mediator Magazine, Lomas said his specialisation 'fed easily into mediation work' and he had found that he was devoting an increasing amount of his time to mediation. While Lomas handled a case in the Court of Appeal as recently as 2005, and a substantial case in the Chancery Division last year, he felt he was reaching a point where he could not continue 'to do proper justice to both a practice as an advocate and a practice as a mediator.' He continued, 'I am much happier now to be able to concentrate my full time and attention on my practice as a mediator.'

Of mediation, he said, 'I find the process fascinating and rewarding, and the high incidence of successful outcomes one can achieve very satisfying. I find it in many way more stimulating to achieve an equitable settlement of a dispute through mediation that to fight an case out to the death in court.'   

Commenting on his move to IM, Lomas said he was 'honoured and delighted' to be accepted: 'it feels as if I have been invited to go straight to the top table.'

IM chief executive David Douglas was equally enthusiastic about the latest addition to the ranks: 'We are delighted that Mark has agreed to join Independent Mediators. We have always stated that we did not wish to expand the group quickly or to get too large, and that we would wait to find members that accept our ethos and high standards: we had no hesitation in inviting Mark to join - he is an outstanding mediator with a reputation that is justifiably growing each year.'