Jonathon Stokes is the managing partner of Elmwoods Law and Mediation, a new law firm that opened its doors in June of last year.
Jonathon has been a solicitor for 33 years but has always been a problem solver, a lateral thinker, an out of the box type. He uses these skills in his day job as a dispute resolution lawyer. His portfolio of work covers most types of dispute ranging from commercial contract disputes through contested probate to employment law. Jonathon covers all aspects of employment law, acting for both employers and employees. He has vast experience of advising employers on a wide range of matters including defending claims in the Employment Tribunal. He also advises employees on their rights and remedies if they feel they have been treated unfairly. He undertakes insolvency work, primarily for debtors wishing to challenge the actions of their Trustee in Bankruptcy or the liquidator of a company. He has an extensive practice in contested probate claims both for disappointed beneficiaries as well as defending challenges to an estate. Jonathon has expertise in the niche area of auction law which he initially practiced in London. In the North East he represents one of the large estate agencies regarding their property auction work. Pulling the threads of all these areas together is Jonathon’s work as a mediator. He is CEDR trained and accredited and sees mediation as a tool that should be given serious consideration by all who are involved in a dispute. The use of a neutral third party to try and find common ground and get the parties in a dispute to find a solution that creates a win-win situation is a logical and sensible step in any dispute irrespective of the size of the dispute or the stage of legal proceedings. This is the basis of mediation. Together with his partner, Angela Curran, a solicitor and practicing mediator for 25 years, he felt that it was important to incorporate the word ‘mediation’ into the name of their new dispute resolution legal practice. Jonathon feels that its important to explore all possibilities with clients. The object of the exercise in any dispute, whether it be commercial or personal, should be to achieve a resolution that all parties are happy with. Court proceedings result in a winner but also a loser and often end with fractured personal and commercial relationships. Mediation aims to try and deliver ‘out of the box’ solutions, things that are beyond the power of a court to order but within the gift of the parties which can go a long way to repairing relationships. Both Jonathon and Angela actively encourage their own clients to engage in the mediation process and both act as independent mediators brought into other disputes to help resolve them. Jonathon and Angela are available to both solicitors and members of the public to discuss their mediation services.
