I qualified as a barrister in 1977, and have practised both as a barrister and solicitor. That gives me a distinct advantage when advising my clients, since I have the expertise of counsel but also hands-on, practical experience of guiding clients through their legal problems.
I have developed particular expertise advising on, and representing clients, in disputes involving civil fraud, deceit, economic duress, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust and misrepresentation.
I represent individuals (often high net worth though not exclusively) and companies and commercial organisations.
I have established a reputation as a leading practitioner in this specialised area and have many endorsements to show for it. I can assure you that you will receive high-quality advice and representation from me.
My approach
With nearly four decades of practice under my belt, I offer my clients a wealth of experience. I will always offer practical advice and help my clients to find the right solution to their legal problem. I am dynamic and forward-thinking.
I respond promptly to instructions. I am very approachable and establish a good rapport with my clients which then forms a foundation to our professional relationship. I am told by many clients that I take the stress out of legal problems, since I always focus on finding a pragmatic solution that will be in my client’s best interests.
Costs: After the initial consultation, I will be able to let you know what my charges will be for taking on your case. I am efficient and do not waste time unnecessarily and so I am confident that you will receive good value from me as your counsel.
My work
I have successfully represented clients across the board. Here are some examples of successful cases that I have handled:
* I represented my corporate client, Tennero Limited, in a case brought against it by a litigant, which involved a complex procedural issue concerning an attempted appeal against a Court decision that had been favourable to my client. On behalf of my Tennero, I argued that the proposed appeal by the litigant amounted to an abuse of the Court's process, and the appeal judge upheld my argument. The decision has been used as a leading authority in other cases on the question of abuse of process in civil litigation.
* In 2012, I successfully represented the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in a case against a well-known arbitrator for his failure to deliver an arbitral award within four years of hearing the arbitration. The result was that the arbitrator, who was also a well known Scottish Leading Counsel, was struck off as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
* I successfully helped protect the interests of my client, Ms Sheikh, in a property to which she claimed ownership. This was part of some highly complex property and conveyancing litigation, in which a company, Red River (UK), attempted to force Ms Sheikh to remove or withdraw restrictions against a sale taking place that had been previously registered at HM Land Registry and which she wished to keep in full force and effect to protect her legitimate interests. She did not stand to gain from lifting the restrictions and the Court found that she was within her rights to maintain her position as I had argued.
About me
I have practised both as a barrister and as a solicitor. I am also an arbitrator and mediator. I have all-round practical experience of dispute resolution, and, in my time, have advised on many thousands of disputes.
What my clients say
“I instructed Philip Newman approximately one year ago under direct access. I run an energy brokerage and became involved in High Court Litigation with a former employer. Philip’s depth of commercial litigation experience has helped us to deal with this case as litigants in person saving on costs and he has now put us on a winning track. I would highly recommend Philip.” – Mark, company director
“Philip is experienced, well prepared and thorough. His attention to detail is superb and he works well as a team, and enjoys spending the necessary time with clients in order to gain an understanding of the case. Philip acted for us in a number of hearings and has drafted various strong skeleton arguments to support our case. Philip is well known in the industry and has vast knowledge of the law and gets things done.” – Mr G, a company director from Essex who gained a judgment in a commercial property dispute for over £100 million."
“Philip immediately proved to be very approachable and understanding of our mental health and financial challenges as well as the pressing legal action we were defending as litigants in person.
Philip possesses the skills mix to quickly comprehend the pertinent issues in a complex property case involving a number of factors and parties.
Philip was appointed by ourselves following a warning and significant costs order from the Judge to get proper legal advice! He immediately supported us without criticism of our previously ill conceived prior actions without judgement.
He introduced us to experts such as a forensic accountant and a insolvency practitioner so we could fully understand all aspects and potential outcomes and options regarding our case.
Philip works at a fast pace in a clear and concise manner but he is not averse to being personally challenged or challenging his clients to achieve a workable and pragmatic outcome. He possesses a very dry sense of humour and engaging demeanour that helped to support and motivate us whenever we encountered setbacks and unexpected challenges.
In a Court hearing and at mediation sessions ( the latter conducted twice via zoom due to Covid ) Philip demonstrated his deference and diplomacy whilst skilfully dismantling the arguments of the other side to win us Indemnity costs. This is very unusual and a testament to Philip’s professional skills.
In conclusion we would not hesitate to recommend Philip Newman for a similar property related case.
Mr & Mrs E."
Professional & academic
Professional Negligence Bar Association
Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Accredited Mediator with The Academy of Experts and the ADR Group
LLB (Lond) Hons 1976
LLM (Lond) (1978)
University of London Convocation Prize winner for best performance in the LLM for 1978
Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in addition to that of England & Wales