Trust Mediation are delighted to announce the appointment of five senior ADR professionals — Neil Block KC, Brett Dixon, Gerard Martin KC, Nick McMahon and Gareth Thompson to its Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Panel.
The appointments further strengthen Trust Mediation’s established panel of mediators, supporting claimant and defendant solicitors, insurers and legal expenses insurers in resolving disputes across the full range of personal injury claims. The expansion reflects growing demand for specialist ADR services, including mediation, evaluation and arbitration, within the civil justice framework.
Tim Wallis, Chair of Trust Mediation, said:
“We are delighted to welcome these new senior members to Trust Mediation, increasing our panel from 25 to 30. This expansion is a clear signal of the growing importance of ADR for everyone working within civil justice.
“Claimant lawyers, defendant lawyers and insurers who work with us will recognise that these lawyer‑mediators, each bringing a distinct blend of skills and expertise, are well placed to join our established team of specialists.
“Personal injury practitioners and insurers are highly experienced in resolving high-, medium- and low‑value claims through traditional settlement routes. Increasingly, however, that experience is being enhanced by a strong working knowledge of ADR practice and procedure, to the benefit of both paying and receiving parties. Our strengthened panel is well placed to support that process and to help achieve earlier and more efficient resolution.”
Introducing the new panel members
Neil Block KC
Neil, a former Personal Injury Silk of the Year, is regularly appointed as mediator across a broad range of disputes. Neil Block KC says “Having spent years mediating and providing evaluation in complex and high value personal injury, clinical negligence, sport and insurance cases I am delighted to bring this experience and skillset to add to the wide-ranging service provided to litigants by Trust Mediation. ADR is embedded in our legal processes and Trust Mediation is a trail-blazer in providing a specialist service. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”
Brett Dixon
Brett is the Vice President of the Law Society and brings a unique, 360-degree perspective of the civil justice system as both a lawyer and rule maker. He offers a sophisticated blend of procedural expertise and commercial awareness, coupled with an empathetic, people-focused approach dedicated to helping parties navigate complex disputes and reach practical resolutions.
Brett says “Efficiency in the civil justice system is about more than just speed; it is about delivering practical resolutions that allow all parties to move forward. Having spent much of my career building the digital architecture for modern justice systems, I am acutely aware that technology and process can be part of reaching the end goal of a fair and timely outcome. Mediation offers a vital, flexible space to achieve this, and I am looking forward to helping Trust Mediation’s clients find pragmatic and timely solutions.”
Gerard Martin KC
Gerard, who has been described as “an outstanding advocate and a brilliant negotiator”, is nationally recognised for his expertise in high value personal injury and clinical negligence matters. Gerard specialises in brain injury and spinal injury cases for adults and children, and he also has extensive experience in clinical negligence work.
Gerard says “Alternative dispute resolution is now firmly embedded within the modern civil justice system, and its effective use is increasingly central to achieving timely and proportionate outcomes. I am pleased to join Trust Mediation’s Personal Injury Panel and look forward to helping parties resolve disputes earlier, more efficiently and with greater certainty.”
Nick McMahon
Nick McMahon is an accomplished Civil and Commercial Mediator based in the UK, with a distinguished career in litigation and dispute resolution. As a Solicitor, Nick brings decades of expertise, specialising in insurance, product liability, personal injury, medical malpractice, and professional indemnity cases
Nick says, “From the outset of every mediation, I challenge parties to work collaboratively with me to get to the heart of the dispute, not fixate on rigid positions, and to move pragmatically towards a solution commercially viable for all.”
Gareth Thompson
Gareth Thompson is an internationally recognised mediator, neutral evaluator and arbitrator of civil and commercial disputes. Gareth was a Partner at a leading City of London law firm dealing with complex disputes involving personal injury claims and disputes under commercial contracts before focusing his practice on being a mediator, evaluator and arbitrator. Gareth is a Civil Mediation Council Registered Mediator and Member of the Society of Mediators.
Gareth says “It is a privilege to be appointed to Trust Mediation’s prestigious panel of mediators. Mediation and Early Neutral Evaluation play increasingly important roles in helping parties resolve disputes efficiently and pragmatically and to delivering outcomes that make economic sense for all involved. I look forward to working with parties to achieve such outcomes as part of the Trust Mediation team.”
Trust Mediation continues to work with legal professionals and insurers across England and Wales to deliver timely, cost-effective dispute resolution and remain at the forefront of ADR developments.