Introduction
Mark is consistently recognised in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a leading commercial junior. The directories say he is “phenomenal” and “brilliant”: that he is “an excellent advocate” who combines a “ferocious intellect” with a “calm, unflappable manner” and is “incredibly user-friendly”.
He has more than two decades of experience advising on and acting in a wide range of commercial disputes. As well as litigating in the courts (including various divisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal) he also has extensive experience of arbitration and mediation. He is regularly instructed to act, unled, against silks.
Much of Mark’s work has involved claims in contract and the torts – often complex cases with a high value and/or an international element. He has wide experience of interim applications including freezing and other injunctions. He has also dealt regularly with more specialist areas such as arbitration, fraud, professional negligence, warranty claims, restraint of trade, shareholder disputes, sports disputes and agency claims.
Before being called to the Bar, he spent some ten years as a solicitor (and solicitor-advocate) at a leading international law firm, including spending time on secondment to the in-house legal team of a major plc in the food sector. All of this has given him an invaluable understanding of how to provide the best service both to solicitors and lay clients, and an appreciation of the importance of commercial and strategic considerations in litigation.
Mark can also accept instructions through the Direct Public Access Scheme and is a qualified mediator. When not litigating, Mark is usually to be found on the tennis court, playing the piano or spending time with his family.
Mark’s recent reported cases include:
- Banfield v Edwards [2024] EWHC 2104 (Ch) (unfair prejudice) – acting for the successful respondents to an unfair prejudice petition, culminating in a four-day trial in Birmingham
- Three Counties Agricultural Society v Persons Unknown [2022] EWHC 2708 (KB) (persons unknown injunction) – obtaining an injunction against ‘persons unknown’ in respect of protests at a Defence and Security Expo at the Three Counties Showground
- Midland Living CIC v Prospect Housing Ltd [2021] EWHC 2622 (Comm) (strike-out/summary judgment)
- AAH Pharmaceuticals v Jhoots Healthcare [2020] EWHC 2524 (Comm) (disclosure pilot principles)
- Nash & ors v Lygren [2020] EWHC 3088 (Ch) – representing the successful applicants (including high-profile individuals) in a contempt application for breach of injunction in a shareholder dispute
- English Football League v Sheffield Wednesday FC (SR/372/2019) – acting for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in arbitral proceedings by which the English Football League sought to discipline the Club for breaching Profit & Sustainability Rules, in connection with a sale of Hillsborough Stadium, culminating in a five-day final arbitration hearing (led by John Randall KC and Nick De Marco KC)
- Ourspace Ventures Ltd v Halliwell [2019] EWHC 3475 (Ch) (validity of a unilateral jurisdiction clause)
- Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency Ltd v Thermabead Ltd [2018] EWHC 3895 (Ch) and [2019] EWHC 851 (TCC) (validity of a ‘pathological’ arbitration clause)
- First Personnel Services Ltd v Halfords Ltd [2016] EWHC 2155 (Ch) (disclosure, amendments to statements of case) and [2016] EWHC 3220 (Ch) (contractual transfer fees for employment agency) – acting for successful claimant in an 11-day trial in Birmingham (led by Edward Pepperall KC)
Company and Partnership
Mark has extensive experience of company and partnership disputes, particularly unfair prejudice petitions and breach of warranty and other claims arising out of SPAs. He is ranked by Champers & Partners as a leading junior for Chancery work in the Midlands, and by Legal 500 as a leading junior for Company and Insolvency work on the Midland Circuit.
His current and recent experience in this area includes:
- Acting for the petitioner, in proceedings in the Companies Court in London, in a claim for breach of contract and unfair prejudice in respect of a substantial engineering company valued at circa £20 million. Included a successful early application for pre-action disclosure.
- Acting for the Respondent in three related proceedings (in the BPC in London) regarding the ownership and control of a company set up to own and run a Hindu temple. The dispute comprises an unfair prejudice petition, a cross petition, and a separate Part 7 claim for injunctive relief in respect of the operation of the company.
- Acting for the claimant, in proceedings in Birmingham BPC, seeking damages from the sellers for breaches of warranty under an SPA following their purchase of the businesses of several fast food restaurants.
- Advising and acting for the Defendant, in proceedings in Manchester BPC, in a claim for deferred consideration, and damages for breach of contract, said to be due pursuant to an SPA following the sale of a social and digital marketing agency
- Acting for the claimant – a former director and current shareholder of the Defendant, an aircraft sales and charters company – in proceedings in the London Circuit Commercial Court for outstanding director’s loans, unpaid fees and dividends; and in defending a counterclaim by the company in respect of two alleged loan agreements.
- Advising and representing a mobile handset retail company in a claim against a former director for breach of a shareholder agreement and of director’s duties.
- Banfield v Edwards [2024] EWHC 2104 (Ch) (unfair prejudice) – acting for the successful respondents to an unfair prejudice petition in a four-day trial in Birmingham
- Advising and acting for the Defendant in proceedings in the London Circuit Commercial Court (worth circa £3m) about the ownership of shares in a company set up to redevelop a hotel into a private healthcare facility, and loans advanced in connection with the same
- Advising the petitioner in proceedings in Birmingham BPC (encompassing both an unfair prejudice petition and related proceedings for alleged breach of trust) relating to the family business: a substantial group with turnover of more than £40m
- Acting in Birmingham BPC for high-profile claimants in a dispute with a Liechtenstein establishment (anstalt) about control of a UK company in which they were all shareholders. Involved seeking an injunction to prevent removal of directors, proceedings for a claim for a declaration as to the removal of certain special resolutions, and an application for contempt of court – all successful (applications for permission to appeal refused by Court of Appeal).
- (As a solicitor) Advising a group of UK shareholders on $6.5 million proceedings in the United States which involved substantial breach of warranty claims arising out of them in England.
Professional Liability
Mark regularly acts (for both claimants and defendants) in professional liability claims. He is the only junior in the Midlands to be ranked in both the 2026 Legal 500 and the 2026 Chambers & Partners directories for such work.
His current and recent experience in this area includes:
- Acting (in the Bristol Circuit Commercial Court) for the claimants, sellers of a fencing business, on a claim for professional negligence against their solicitors in respect of the failure of security for the deferred consideration on the sale
- Acting for the claimant (as assignee of the claim) in substantial negligence proceedings in London TCC against two specialist providers of legionella advice and rectification, arising out of repeated instances of legionella at a hotel, one of which caused the death of a hotel guest (led by Patrick Lawrence KC)
- Acting for the claimant, a wealthy individual, in respect of the negligent design and subsequent installation of a swimming pool at his estate
- Acting for the claimant, a wealthy individual, in proceedings in the Birmingham Circuit Commercial Court against specialist vehicle dealers, after the claimant’s valuable custom-made Porsche ‘Speedster’ was damaged beyond repair while in the Defendant’s custody
- Acting for the claimants in a professional negligence claim against solicitors who had been instructed on a breach of warranty/fraud claim in respect of a business sale, after the claim was struck out due to issues with service of the proceedings
- Acting for a major football club in a high-value professional negligence claim against the club’s former accountants and auditors (led by John Randall KC)
- Advising the claimants on a claim for professional negligence against their insurance brokers, following the insurer’s failure to pay out on a substantial claim in respect of a hotel made subject to a closure order due to repeated anti-social activities at the site
- Acting for the potential claimants, the trustees of a company pension scheme, on a claim for professional negligence against a professional trustee in respect of its management of the scheme and its assets
- Acting for the claimants (accountants & business advisers) in a claim for unpaid fees, with counter-allegations of professional negligence as to advice given on the Defendant’s proposed acquisition of a business
- Acting for a commercial finance company in a negligence claim in Birmingham Circuit Commercial Court against a firm of solicitors for their failure to obtain an undertaking or other security in connection with the provision of a bridging loan
- Acting for the claimant, a former soldier, on a claim for professional negligence against the solicitors who advised him on a settlement he reached with the MoD following his medical discharge from the armed services
Arbitration
Mark is experienced as an advocate in numerous arbitral proceedings (both ad hoc and under the auspices of various bodies including the ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL).
His current and recent experience in this area includes:
- English Football League v Sheffield Wednesday FC (SR/372/2019) (acting for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in arbitral proceedings by which the English Football League sought to discipline the Club for breach of its Profit & Sustainability Rules relating to the sale of Hillsborough Stadium, culminating in a five-day final arbitration hearing) (Led by John Randall KC and Nick De Marco KC)
- Acting for the successful claimant in an ICC arbitration against defendants based in Jersey and Australia in connection with a consultancy contract
- Acting for the claimant in an ad hoc arbitration arising out of a partnership dispute and the alleged exercise of an option agreement within the partnership agreement
- Acting for the successful claimant in a substantial LCIA arbitration, concerning the supply and refurbishment of used mobile phone handsets, culminating in a 3-day final hearing (plus lengthy written closing submissions)
- Acting for the claimant in a UNCITRAL arbitration against defendants based in Singapore for alleged breaches of franchising agreements
- Acting for the claimant in a DIAC arbitration in connection with the franchising of a restaurant business in Dubai and elsewhere
- Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency Ltd v Thermabead Ltd [2018] EWHC 3895 (Ch) and [2019] EWHC 851 (TCC) (validity of a ‘pathological’ arbitration clause)
- (As a solicitor-advocate) Acted as sole advocate in a three-day trial in an ICC international arbitration worth £2 million: an agency dispute with a world-leader engineering company relating to the supply of industrial products into China. The case also included claims in the economic torts
Restraint of Trade & Confidentiality
Mark is experienced in acting (for both claimants and defendants) on disputes arising out of restraint of trade and breach of restrictive covenants. His experience encompasses advisory work, obtaining and resisting interim injunctions, and acting on the subsequent legal proceedings.
His current and recent experience in this area includes:
- Numerous cases acting on claims (including applications for injunctive relief) for breach of restrictive covenants and confidentiality by a former employee, and against third parties for inducing breach of contract
- Acting for the defendants, former employees accused of breaching covenants when starting work with a competing business, in successfully resisting the grant of an injunction in the Manchester High Court
- Advising a leading food manufacturer on defending claims of restraint of trade in the context of a key commercial contract
- Obtaining an injunction in the Chancery Division, on behalf of a national chain of public houses, to restrain a breach of restrictive covenant by a former landlord
Education
First-class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from Somerville College, University of Oxford. Also awarded scholarship for academic attainment whilst at Oxford (Clothworkers)
MA (Oxon)
PgDL – College of Law, Birmingham (Commendation)
LPC – College of Law, Birmingham (Commendation)
Appointments and Memberships
Midland Chancery & Commercial Bar Association (MCCBA)
Qualified mediator (Society of Mediators)
Direct-access qualified
Testimonials
“Good with clients, commercially astute and excellent with his analysis and advocacy.” Chambers and Partners 2026
“I find him very engaging. Mark is very good in his field of expertise and is very experienced.” Chambers and Partners 2026
“He is very user-friendly. Mark is very good on his feet. He is very well organised; he has a good understanding of the market. He can do most things.” Chambers and Partners 2026
“He’s phenomenal. Mark’s drafting is superb and very tactical. He’s great on his feet. He gets the judge to trust him.” Chambers and Partners 2026
“Mark is a pleasure to work with. He is responsive and attuned to the commercial requirements of our clients.” Chambers and Partners 2026
“Mark has a calm, unflappable manner. He is patient, thorough and great at getting to grips with the key issues on complex cases. Mark is also an excellent advocate who can be relied upon to have the ear of the court. His polite manner in cross-examination belies the fact that he knows what evidence he wants from witnesses and is great at getting it.” Legal 500 2026
“Mark is highly focussed, assimilating key issues and getting to the heart of the dispute quickly and effectively. His advocacy is direct, considered and effective.” Legal 500 2026
“Mark always ensures that he acquires the clients full trust and attention by ensuring that full knowledge of the case, instructions and the relevant law. His ability to cut through to the essential facts and law is excellent as is his management of clients.” Legal 500 2026
“Mark is brilliant and a good all-round litigator; he’s incredibly user-friendly and always available, and his drafting is excellent.” Chambers & Partners 2025
“Mark has the benefit of having practised as a solicitor for a number of years and, consequently, has an exceptionally strong practical, business-oriented view of the world which adds a critical dimension to advice given. He engenders trust in clients. He is very into the detail and technically, legally and procedurally precise to the extreme.” Legal 500 2025
“Mark is a sharp-minded and personable counsel. He is great on the detail and confident in the delivery of complex issues. His advocacy style is assured and commanding.” Legal 500 2025
“Mark is technically, procedurally and legally spot on and precise in every respect. He is very user friendly and liked and trusted by solicitors and clients alike. He brings a great pragmatic and business-oriented approach.” Legal 500 2025
“Mark has a ferocious intellect and is across complex details quickly. He is a very skilled advocate who calmly unpicks weak arguments. He has an easy yet authoritative manner to which clients respond well.” Legal 500 2024
“Mark is exceptionally user-friendly. He is very easy to get along with, provides practical and commercially-focussed advice, and does not shy away from delivering difficult messages. His advocacy is also very strong.” Legal 500 2024
“Mark is a really good advocate. He is very courteous and straightforward to deal with.” Chambers & Partners 2024
“Mark is at ease in both written and oral submissions. He commands authority among peers and clients, whilst also being approachable and responsive.” Chambers & Partners 2024
“Mark is technically a very good lawyer. His approach is always clear, concise and on point, whether that is in relation to written advice, skeleton arguments, or oral submissions in court. He is good with clients.” Legal 500 2023
“Mark is incredibly bright.” Chambers & Partners 2023
“He is outstanding – technically great and thorough.” Chambers & Partners 2023
“A superb advocate, and his preparation is meticulous. He has an inclination to be succinct. He is so calm and methodical in the way he argues a case that judges really respond to him.” Chambers UK 2022
“Mark has a razor-sharp mind, is a very clear thinker, provides excellent analysis, and is able to construct the best possible argument for the client.” Legal 500 2022
“Mark isn’t frightened to roll up his sleeves and get to work on something that doesn’t look particularly glamorous – he just gets on with it.” Chambers UK
“Very tactical and equally very sensible.” Chambers UK
“A safe pair of hands who understands the pressures solicitors face and takes on work beyond his year of call.” Legal 500 2021
“Quick to understand the issues at the crux of a case and offer sensible and considered advice.” Legal 500 2021
“A safe pair of hands who instils absolute confidence in his clients.” Legal 500 2021
“A team player who delivers advice in an approachable and commercial manner.” Legal 500 2020
“Thanks to his past experience as a solicitor, he acutely understands the pressures we face behind the scenes. He’s clear in the provision of his advice and thrives when dealing with complicated and detailed matters.” Chambers UK
