Stephen is a partner in the Litigation and Arbitration group based in Sheffield. He is also Office Managing Partner for Sheffield. He has considerable experience in handling commercial litigation, arbitration and all forms of alternative dispute resolution. In particular, he focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, domestic and international arbitration, product liability, fraud and asset recovery and alternative dispute resolution.

Stephen has advised a range of corporate and public sector bodies and managed cases through a number of the specialist divisions of the courts including the Technology and Construction Court, the Commercial Court, the Regional Mercantile Courts and the Administrative Court.

Stephen holds seminars for clients and intermediaries on procurement challenges, shareholder disputes and on fraud and asset recovery and on most facets of litigation and dispute resolution. He is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In 1998 he was appointed as a Deputy District Judge on the North Eastern Circuit.

Key experience:

• Advising a UK company regarding a US$20m product liability claim with multiple co-defendants, proceedings in two states in the USA and dealing with the implications of the financial collapse of the client's excess product liability insurers; leading strategy to ensure depositions of key witnesses held in the UK and achieving settlement terms so that funding agreement reached between co-defendants to avoid client making any payment beyond its primary level of insurance.
• Acting for a contractor in £15m challenge regarding a Department of Trade and Industry procurement, including liaison with political lobbying functions and media/PR campaign. The matter was resolved without proceeding through the courts.
• Acting as a mediator in a £30m shareholder dispute between private and institutional investors.
• Acting for a public authority in claims to recover overpayments made to a series of contractors in relation to a housing improvement scheme affecting 200 properties and their owner/occupiers. This involved conducting parallel claims against client's fidelity insurer and coordinating proceedings against series of contractor and owner/managers to achieve recovery of all monies. These also required a claims review of corporate governance and vires issues for the authority concerned.
• Acting for a main contractor in relation to substantial disputes arising out of design and build obligations of soccer stadia within the UK. This includes management of claims from various subcontractors, adjudication and ultimately a successful conclusion by way of mediations.
• Representing a local authority in commercial arbitration with a waste management contractor involving significant issues in relation to technical engineering evidence as well as disputed issues in respect of quantity surveying and forensic accountancy.
• Acting for contractors (both construction sector and IT) in relation to delay analysis and change control/variation issues. Includes representing an IT contractor in High Court proceedings against a UK government department regarding termination of a £100m IT contract. In particular, assessing substantial volumes of documentary evidence to determine principal issues of cause and effect, leading strategies for engagement of technical and financial experts.

"partner" refers to a member of DLA Piper UK LLP

• Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales