Robert, who qualified as a solicitor thirty eight years ago, has throughout his career dealt with a wide variety of disputed cases gaining a good reputation as an imaginative and pragmatic lawyer.

Having trained at Zermansky’s in Leeds, Robert moved to the Leeds based Howard Cohen & Co as an equity partner that appointment coming within three years of admission. In his time at Howard Cohen & Co Robert opened and ran two branch offices as well as continuing to develop his skills as a litigator and advocate. In 1991, an opportunity arose at Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors as Head of Litigation and having accepted that position Robert remained with that firm as a partner  for 25 years.

As head of the dispute resolution team Robert had responsibility for in excess of 20 fee earners as well as maintaining a significant case load. In 2004 he was elected to serve as a member of the firm’s management team a position which he held for over 10 years during which the firm saw steady growth but also the impact of the 2008 recession giving Robert insight and experience into the commercial aspects of running a business.

His workload saw Robert both personally and through the supervision of others deal with a wide range of legal disputes   developing expertise and interest in a number of areas such as Partnership Disputes, Professional Negligence cases, disputes involving land, commercial contract issues and company disputes.

In February 2016 Robert with two other former partners from Chadwick Lawrence established Williams&Co, a niche law firm offering highly efficient and reasonably priced legal services.

Robert maintains a strong client base which includes nationally known retail outlets and notable sporting institutions and is regularly instructed by fellow professionals including solicitors who have regulatory and or compliance issues.

Robert’s introduction to mediation came some 20 years ago when he attended the initial introduction to mediated settlements run by the ADR group. Since then, Robert has championed ADR as an alternative to litigation and has represented many clients in mediations which has given him the opportunity of working with some of the country’s leading mediators.  Experience has taught him that seemingly impossible situations are capable of being resolved with gentle guidance and informed discussion.

A confirmed supporter of the mediation process, Robert recently achieved accreditation believing that his experience and knowledge of the sector would be  beneficial in seeking solutions to difficult issues in a pragmatic manner.

Robert’s approach to mediation is an eclectic one, borrowing positive aspects of practice from experienced mediators and formulating his own unique and approachable methodology which, with the ability to engender trust and to quickly grasp both the legal and factual issues, provides an excellent framework for successful resolution.