At New Park Court Chambers, we do things a little differently. With a total of 74 barristers, including 13 King’s Counsel, our reach and influence stretches far beyond the bounds of our Circuit.
As a Tier 1 Set based in Leeds and Newcastle we are home to a number of high profile and nationally and internationally reputable Counsel.
Nicholas Mason is an experienced barrister, with extensive experience in a wide variety of complex, serious and multi-disciplinary claims.
Encompassing the medical professions, accountants, financial advisers, surveyors, architects, solicitors and barristers (including Leading Counsel). Often these claims form part of wider commercial / civil claims or involve more than one profession or involve regulatory issues.
Extensive experience, both as an advocate and in an advisory capacity of a wide variety of complex, serious and multidisciplinary commercial claims.
In addition to litigious work, undertaken a substantial amount of advisory work and the drafting of commercial documents – eg terms and conditions of businesses, including those for a national loyalty reward scheme for small and medium size retailers, and competitive tendering agreements for local authorities.
In excess of 20 years experience of personal injury litigation, acting on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in a wide spectrum of claims, including a number of cases that have resulted in multi-million pound awards or settlements.
Experience includes:
In addition to experience in litigating claims, substantial experience in resolving claims through mediation and ’round table conferences’, including against leading counsel. Linked to personal injury practice, extensive experience of:
Involved in a wide variety of construction disputes, including those involving professional negligence, ranging from single dwelling disputes to a claim of some £8 million, representing the owners of 26 houses who bought ‘executive homes’ from a national builder that had been built using an incorrect mix of mortar.
In particular in relation to companies, partnerships and the internet.
Instructed on behalf of applicants, police forces, local authorities and justices. Involved in high profile applications involving national chains and sporting venues.
Extensive experience, both as an advocate and in an advisory capacity, of claims relating to the sale of land, trespass, adverse possession, easements, restrictive covenants and licences, encompassing the conduct and presentation of cases before the High Court, County Court, Land Appeal Tribunal and Land Registry. Instructed on behalf of individuals, companies, local authorities and government agencies.
Specialises in claims that have a land law element, including mortgages and professional negligence claims against solicitors, surveyors and land agents.
Also undertakes related fields of practice, such as town and country planning and environmental law.
Undertakes both contentious and non-contentious work, although the emphasis is weighted towards litigation. Practice encompasses:
Nicholas undertakes all types of financial remedy proceedings. He particularly specialises in cases involving companies, trusts and concealed and dissipated assets where he brings his substantial knowledge and experience of chancery, company and commercial law to bare.
Nicholas frequently represents high net worth individuals including businessman in many different fields, in particular property and finance, generational estates and farming and the professions, in particular solicitors, accountants and estate agents. He also frequently represents the spouses of such individuals, particularly, in cases where there is believed to be material nondisclosure and the transfer and dissipation of assets. Not infrequently these cases involve the tracing of assets and jurisdictional and cross-border issues. His experience of international civil frauds and commercial disputes provide him with a valuable insight into these types of cases.
In addition to conducting financial remedy proceedings in their entirety, he is also instructed to provide specialist advice in relation to company or trust aspects of a case, i.e. where there is an issue as to ownership of assets vis-à-vis a company or a trust.
He is not only instructed by the parties to the marriage but is frequently instructed by companies, relatives and others who intervene in proceedings relating to third-party interests and claims. These claims take a multitude of forms including, ownership of assets, beneficial interests, estoppel licences and loans and charges.
Nicholas brings to all of these cases a wealth of experience, a highly analytical mind and skilled and determined cross examination. He particularly enjoys difficult and unusual cases. An example of such is his recent instruction by a consultant in a case where the latter is raising conduct on the basis of his former wife making false allegations of rape and sexual abuse upon a child of the family.
Nicholas is not only involved in the financial consequences of divorce in respect of financial remedy proceedings, but also drafts both prenuptial and post nuptial agreements. Nicholas not only drafts bespoke agreements he also drafts all the ancillary documentation. He has drafted agreements for businessmen, in particular in property and the hospitality industry, professionals, in particular solicitors and accountants where not only the client but also their fellow partners are anxious that the firm should not be adversely affected by divorce or the potential of divorce. He was recently instructed to draft a prenuptial agreement for a leading world sportsman — the runner up in a major world motorsport championship. Nicholas not only drafts all the documentation but provides advice and guidance throughout the process, including pre-marriage advice.
Again, linked to his chancery and commercial practice, Nicholas provides advice and representation in relation to all aspects of cohabitees disputes relating to ownership of property and interests therein including trusts of land, resulting and constructive trust, estoppel licences and Inheritance Act claims.
To assist his Instructing Solicitors, Nicholas provides bespoke lectures and seminars upon those areas of practice outlined above.
In addition to the above cases reported in various law reports has extensive experience of undertaking appeals, including cases where did not appear at first instance, in the various divisions of the High Court, including the Administrative Court and the Divisional Court By Way of Case Stated, and the Court of Appeal.
