Robin Somerville (2012)

General Information

Robin's commercial background before qualifying as a lawyer makes him a barrister with a difference.

Prior to becoming a barrister he was a money market trader in the City of London before he set up, grew and successfully sold three technology start-ups. As well as practising law, Robin has been the Chair of one board and a non-exec for a number of others. For over 13 years he was an equity holding director of the UK’s leading online price comparison sites.

His background has given Robin particular expertise in shareholder and partnership disputes, general commercial and business law, technology, professional and general business regulation. Robin assists by advising and representing parties, helping them settle their differences consensually or by deciding the outcome for them. As a barrister, arbitrator, mediator, ombudsman, investigator, regulatory panel chair and tribunal panel member of various kinds he has been involved in over 1,000 cases spanning more than 19 years.

Robin's inclusive professional style focuses on problem solving, finding solutions to issues and disputes by consensus wherever possible to avoid court-based determination unless no practical alternative remains to enforce parties' rights.

Robin is at his best at times of crisis and change where clients benefit from his judgement, strategic and analytical focus and calm approach.

General commercial, shareholder, board and contract disputes

As described above, Robin has extensive experience of coal face commercial experience of running a range of businesses over 15 years. He was also involved with his third-generation family construction business that entered voluntary administration in the 2009 financial crisis. He is therefore in a unique position at the Bar to understand the coal face causes, effects and considerations of insolvency and to offer practical and effective strategic and legal advice both to those in financial difficulty and also to creditors. This commercial experience meant extensive resolution and negotiation of shareholder, board, contract and commercial disputes and balancing competing interests and can advise in:

• Business law and business disputes
• Commercial/economic torts, including conspiracy and misfeasance
• Company disputes, shareholder rights and remedies
• Contract disputes
• Debt and disputed debt claims and counterclaims
• Defrauding creditors and shareholders
• Derivative actions against directors
• Directors' duties, misfeasance and disqualification
• Injunctions and other interim relief
• Partnership disputes
• Sale and supply of goods and services
• Unfair Prejudice Petitions and minority shareholder actions.
   

Robin can be instructed by businesses, shareholders and individuals direct under the public access scheme, or via a solicitor.

Technology Disputes

Robin's commercial technology experience centres around his three start-ups. The first was an internet solution provider specialising in online content management systems, the second a specialist on/offline distributor and the third an online price comparison site and sales aggregator which generated annual sales and leads of over £50m for a network of 50 nationwide partners. Robin was an equity holding non-exec director for a UK's leading property sector aggregator for over 13 years.

Robin is a specialist Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) consultant for Mishcon de Reya. He has given presentations on ODR and Online Courts to the Law Society of Scotland LegalTech conference, to BACFI and the Arbitration Club, IT branch. Professor Richard Susskind said that Robin has “a remarkable set of experiences ... all leading up to ODR, in my view!”. Robin was invited to participate in the International Online Courts Forum. Robin is an Adjudicator for the Society of Computers and Law, mediator and arbitrator for World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for technology and domain name disputes and a was a Chartered IT Professional of the British Computer Society (2014-17).

Robin is able to advise customers, suppliers and sub-contractors involved in online, IT or telecoms projects in distress or those that have ended in dispute. He is also able to advise on dispute resolution systems architecture and strategic considerations and non-contentious planning.

Robin can be instructed by businesses and organisations direct under the public access scheme, or via a solicitor.
 

Professional Regulation, Conduct and Discipline

Robin leads Clerksroom's Professional Regulation Practise Group. He has represented professionals facing allegations of sexual misconduct, dishonesty, clinical and language competency before tribunals of first instance, appeals and at the High Court.

He has over 13 years experience having chaired, sat on or case presented fitness to practice hearings for regulators including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Construction Industry Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (General Medical Council) and others. One decision Robin was involved in was unsuccessfully judicially reviewed and subsequently unsuccessfully appealed to the Court of Appeal before the Master of the Rolls who delivered favourable comments. Written appraisal includes “exceeds competency… across all competency areas", “Outstanding” and “…exemplary."

Robin runs the regulatory community resource website www.fitnesstopractise.net and has produced a professional regulatory ‘Periodic Table’.
 
Robin has delivered board and panel training to a number of leading regulators and regulated commercial organisations in the UK and abroad and has re-written of a number of codes of conduct including for statutory regimes requiring approval by the relevant Secretary of State.

Robin is available to advise or represent registrants, act as case presenter or legal assessor in respect of any of the following:

•       Response to investigations
•       Interim orders hearings
•       Substantive misconduct, conviction and health cases
•       Substantive order reviews
•       Registration appeals
•       Appeals against panel findings

Robin is a member of the Association for Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers. He can be instructed by professionals and regulators direct under the public access scheme, or via a solicitor.
  

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Robin is an accredited mediator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council. He has a Masters in Law (LLM) in Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary University of London. He is an active Arbitrator and has previously acted as an Ombudsman for the Financial Ombudsman Service and as an Adjudicator for other organisations.

FEES:

Details regarding our approach to fees can be found at the following link:  http://www.clerksroom.com/content-html?cid=514

SERVICES:

Please see “profile” tab for a description of the legal services provided by this barrister.

We aim to complete and return all paperwork within 14 days (2 weeks) of receipt if no specific deadline is provided. We can work to much faster timescales if requested or we can agree a specific target date for each individual circumstance. We will always advise at the outset if counsel is unable to meet any deadline.

Each barrister has a standard hourly rate for their work. The individual hourly rate can be agreed when instructions are acknowledged if preferred. We welcome early discussion as to the suitability of a specific barrister for a specific case. The right barrister will have the relevant expertise to deal with the case but will not be too junior, or too senior depending on the complexities.

We aim to allocate all cases to the correct level of experience & seniority which we believe will prove most to be the most cost-effective solution for our clients.

If, due to urgency, we allocate paperwork to a more senior member of Clerksroom, we will charge the appropriate hourly rate for the work, not for the barrister. We welcome early discussion to ensure the correct fee is applied to the case at the outset.

REDRESS:

All our barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and hold a current practising certificate, details can be found at the following link Barristers’ Register

Complaints information

If you are not satisfied with the service provided, you can make a complaint to Chambers. Information on the chambers’ complaints procedure is available at the following link: http://www.clerksroom.com/content-html?cid=416

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from my chambers, you can make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. You must contact the Legal Ombudsman either within 6 months following the conclusion of our handling your complaint, within 6 years from the date of the act/omission, or 3 years from the date that you should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint (if the act/omission took place before the 6 October 2010 or was more than six years ago).

The Legal Ombudsman’s details are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Web: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

1.              This is a privacy notice that describes how, why and for how long I will process or keep your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’).

2.              The GDPR governs how an individual’s personal data is used, and your rights in relation to that data.

3.              I, Robin Somerville (2012), have been instructed by you or your litigation friend (usually a parent), through your solicitor or agent, or via the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

4.              It is necessary for me to process your personal data in order for me to provide you with legal services, for example:

·   Advise on the prospects of litigation;

·   Advise on the value of your claim;

·   Representation at a court hearing;

·   Representation at trial;

·   Advise, review or comment on legal issues or evidence.

5.              Processing means anything done to data such as: recording, organising, adapting, altering, copying, consulting, transmitting, combining, erasing or storing it.

6.              The processing for the purposes listed above will take place in accordance with either Article 6(1)(a) GDPR or Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, depending on how you instructed me.

7.              If you have instructed me on a direct access basis, or engaged a solicitor (or legal agent), to assist you in bringing or defending a claim then the processing is necessary to perform a contract to which you are a party (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR). To give effect to that contract (i.e. to bring a claim) it is necessary for me to process your personal data for litigation purposes.

8.              If I am assisting you on a pro bono basis, it will be necessary for me to seek your consent to be able to represent you (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). In this scenario, you will be sent a consent form.

Recipients of your data

9.              I may also be required to share your data with others, depending on the nature of your case. This may include:

(i)                  Courts and other tribunals to whom documents are presented;

(ii)                Your solicitors, or agent representing you, through whom I have been instructed;

(iii)               Potential witnesses, experts and other persons involved in the case;

(iv)               Solicitors, barristers, or other legal representatives;

(v)                Ombudsman and regulatory authorities;

(vi)               Education and examining bodies; and

(vii)             Current, past or prospective employers.

Special Categories of Data

10.          In some cases I will have been given your personal data that is within the ‘special categories’ of data described in GDPR Article 9(1). For example, personal data that reveals your race, ethnicity, sexual preferences, political or religious beliefs, trade union membership or health. There are also restrictions for processing information regarding criminal convictions.

11.          This type of personal data will only be processed where it is necessary in order to represent you in your legal claim, or advise on the prospects of a legal claim.

Retention

12.          I will retain your personal data for no longer than is necessary, and where it is possible, I will anonymise your data.

13.          How long your personal data is kept will depend on a number of factors. The retention period will be reviewed when the service I am providing you with is complete. However in general, I am obliged by the Bar Code of Conduct to retain records of my cases, and by HM Revenue and Customs to retain records for 6 years.

14.          Once your case has concluded and fees have been paid, I shall retain only the personal data necessary for the following purposes:

(i)                  The legal and professional obligation to retain information relating to my cases;

(ii)                To check for any potential conflict of interests that may arise in the future when I am instructed on other cases;

(iii)               For use in the defence of potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes;

(iv)               To refer back to in future cases which raise similar legal, factual, or procedural issues.

15.          The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14 (ii), (iii), and (iv) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. That is, for the purposes of legitimate interests that are not outweighed by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.

16.          The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14(i) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) GDPR. That is, the processing is necessary for me to comply with a legal obligation. 

Your Rights

17.          Where processing of your personal data was based on your consent (see paragraphs 6 and 8) you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

18.          Withdrawal of your consent to process such data will most likely mean that I am no longer able to provide you with the legal services you seek.

19.          You may request confirmation that your personal data is being processed by me and details about the personal data, the source, the processing, the purposes of the processing, the recipients and the retention period.

20.          You may request a copy of your personal data that is being processed by me. You may also request rectification (i.e. correction) where there are inaccuracies in the personal data.

21.          You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time, to processing of your personal data in paragraph 14 of this privacy notice. Should you object, the processing will only continue where there are compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests. 

22.          Where the processing or retention of your data is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, it will not be possible to object. 

23.          You have the right to request that your personal data is erased where any of the following apply:

(i)                  The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;

(ii)                You withdraw your consent where the basis of processing was based on consent and where there is no other ground for the processing;

(iii)               Where your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests override the legitimate interests of processing in paragraph 14;

(iv)               The personal data has been unlawfully processed; or

(v)                The personal data have to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.

24.          You have the right to request that your personal data is restricted from processing, so that it is simply stored, for the following reasons: as an alternative to deletion; so that it can be corrected; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; to verify if a legitimate ground exists (paragraph 14).

25.          Where it is necessary to correct your personal data, or you have requested the restriction or erasure of your personal data, I shall endeavour to contact the recipients of the personal data, unless this involves disproportionate effort. 

Security

26.          I take appropriate physical and technical procedures to safeguard your personal data to prevent it from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way. The I.T. systems used by Clerksroom are ISO27001 compliant.

Complaints or Queries

27.          If you have any questions regarding this privacy notice, or how I use your personal data please email me: somerville@clerksroom.com, or my clerks: mail@clerksroom telephone 01823 247 247.

28.          I shall aim to respond as soon as possible, and within 30 days.

29.          You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe I have not handled your request in an appropriate manner. For information on contacting the ICO please go to: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/