Craig Dunford KC

I undertook my training with QuEST in civil, commercial, employment and family mediation skills in 2013, leading to accreditation in January 2014 by the Bar Council of Northern Ireland as a mediator in those areas.

The section of my publication “Litigation in the Commercial List in Northern Ireland” (SLS 2012) on alternative dispute resolution was used as a training resource in this programme.

I practise in the fields of commercial and chancery law. I have acted in construction, partnership and property mediations. Most recently, I was appointed mediator in a commercial landlord and tenant matter in which I was able to bring the parties to a workable and innovative agreement which resolved their immediate differences, and reinvigorated their longer-term relationship.

Some of my recent work has included mediating in the following areas:

• Partnership dissolutions for solicitors and medical practitioners
• Resolution of professional negligence disputes
• Landlord and tenant issues involving tenants’/landlords’ obligations under leases and rent review/term renewals and extensions
• Disputes involving religious congregations
• Construction disputes

Solicitor (England & Wales): 1991 – 1997
Solicitor (Northern Ireland): 1997 – 2000 (member of the Law Society’s ADR committee)
Barrister (Northern Ireland): 2000 to date
Called to the Bar of Ireland: 2009
Accredited mediator: January 2014

• Author of “Litigation in the Commercial List in Northern Ireland” (SLS 2012);
• Visiting tutor at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University of Belfast;
• Bar representative on the Insolvency Rules Committee