Brick Court Chambers

Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

YEAR OF CALL: 1999

"really tenacious and determined to look at things from every angle to get the parties to talk...he’s really sharp, asks the right questions and knows when to intervene and when to give clients space"
Chambers & Partners 2019
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a “leading mediator” with clients praising his “engaging manner, charm and intelligence” and has “considerable expertise as a mediator in international commercial conflicts”

“he is a mediation megastar, hugely experienced and brings years of knowledge to each mediation” possessing “vast experience mediating in Asia and the Middle East”

“he enjoys an “exceptional reputation” all over the world. Sharp is one of our most highly recommended practitioners”

Who's Who Legal

Geoff divides his time between his London and New Zealand mediation practices as well as mediating in Asia.

Geoff is a full time mediator and will mediate anywhere up to 100 disputes a year in various jurisdictions.

Over the past two years he has mediated a number of high-profile New Zealand and UK matters including a multibillion-pound class-action and one of the most significant pieces of litigation in the UK for 2016/17; a five party country to country commercial dispute of political and historical significance, co-mediated with a retired UK Court of Appeal judge; a multimillion pound insolvency litigation; two large fraud matters and the termination of a wholesale insurance arrangement; a JV dispute over a deep water oil well off the coast of Africa; a takeover involving sensitive client issues and a Southeast Asian energy infrastructure claim set against a complex backdrop of litigation and arbitration in Manila, Singapore and London. Before that, a Middle Eastern oil and gas sector project dispute and a UAE construction dispute involving an iconic Dubai building project.

a “leading mediator” with clients praising his “engaging manner, charm and intelligence” and has “considerable expertise as a mediator in international commercial conflicts”

“he is a mediation megastar, hugely experienced and brings years of knowledge to each mediation” possessing “vast experience mediating in Asia and the Middle East”

“he enjoys an “exceptional reputation” all over the world. Sharp is one of our most highly recommended practitioners”

Who's Who Legal

Geoff divides his time between his London and New Zealand mediation practices as well as mediating in Asia.

Geoff is a full time mediator and will mediate anywhere up to 100 disputes a year in various jurisdictions.

Over the past two years he has mediated a number of high-profile New Zealand and UK matters including a multibillion-pound class-action and one of the most significant pieces of litigation in the UK for 2016/17; a five party country to country commercial dispute of political and historical significance, co-mediated with a retired UK Court of Appeal judge; a multimillion pound insolvency litigation; two large fraud matters and the termination of a wholesale insurance arrangement; a JV dispute over a deep water oil well off the coast of Africa; a takeover involving sensitive client issues and a Southeast Asian energy infrastructure claim set against a complex backdrop of litigation and arbitration in Manila, Singapore and London. Before that, a Middle Eastern oil and gas sector project dispute and a UAE construction dispute involving an iconic Dubai building project.

Known as a mediator who can connect with parties in conflict, Geoff has been engaged by many of the world’s leading law firms as well as Asian, UK and NZ Governments.

He mediates across a range of commercial conflicts including infrastructure, construction, intellectual property, engineering, technology/telecom/energy sectors, financial, insurance, contractual, shareholder, joint-venture and public sector/governmental matters.

Geoff is often included in the Who’s Who Legal annual Global Top 10 Mediators with selection based on independent survey of both general counsel and private practice lawyers worldwide.

As well as being voted APAC 2018 Insider’s Best Commercial Mediator in the Asia-Pacific for the last three years, he has been voted Mediator of the Year at the Annual NZ Law Awards by the NZ legal profession. He is also recognised for his mediation work in the Asia Pacific as an ACQ5 Global Awards 2018 Category Winner.

He is honoured to be a past LEADR Fellow and the first Australasian mediator to be elected a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators (USA).

Geoff has been a member of ICC’s Mediation Rules Task Force and for many years on the faculty of the ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition devoted to international commercial mediation and held in Paris every year. He has mediated the competition final and 2017 feedback from university coaches included; “Fantastic session mostly due to the quality of the mediator. The best mediator I’ve observed in the many sessions since many years at the ICC competition weeks.”

He is appointed to CEDR’s International Mediator Panel.

Active in Asia, Geoff is also a member of Singapore Mediation Centre’s International Panel of Mediators and appointed a SIMC Ambassador in 2017. He is also a member of the National Electricity Market of Singapore Dispute Resolution and Compensation Panel. In 2018 he was appointed an inaugural panel member of Japan’s International Mediation Center located in Kyoto and which will work closely with the Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Mediation Center (China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative).

Prior to committing to a full-time mediation practice a decade ago, Geoff was a litigation partner at Bell Gully, one of New Zealand’s largest national commercial law firms. Before that his early career was at Mallesons, a major Australian commercial firm.

He is admitted to the Bar in New Zealand and Australia (all NZ Courts, Supreme Court of Victoria, High Court of Australia and the Australian Federal Court).

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  • Qualifications M

    Degree

    • LLB (Bachelor of Laws) Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 1982

    Career

    New Zealand

    • Barrister & Solicitor 1982 - 1999
    • Bell Gully, Wellington 1984 - 1999
    • Barrister 1999 to date
    • Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand Mediation Panel (current)
    • LEADR Advanced Mediation Panel (current)
    • Massey University/NZ Law Society short course teaching 2011 to date

    Australia

    • Mallesons, Melbourne 1982 - 1984
    • Admitted Supreme Court of Victoria 1983
    • Admitted High Court of Australia and Australian Federal Court 1983
    • Accredited National Australian Mediation Standards (current)
    • Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Bond University Faculty of Law (Queensland) 2008
    • Appointed the 3rd Australasian LEADR Fellow 2008 - 2010

    International

    • Adjunct Faculty Pepperdine University School of Law Summer Professional Skills Program in Dispute Resolution (California) 2008
    • Distinguished Fellow International Academy of Mediators (USA)
    • Vice-Chair International Mediation Institute Independent Standards Commission (The Hague)
    • Singapore Management University Centre for Dispute Resolution (School of Law) Advisory Board
    • Singapore Mediation Centre International Panel of Mediators
    • National Electricity Market of Singapore Dispute Resolution and Compensation Panel
    • Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Panel of Accredited Mediators
  • Publications M

    Geoff is a regular contributor to the Kluwer Mediation Blog

    Collections of his Articles and Mediation Videos can be found on his website.

  • Directory Quotes M
    • Geoff Sharp is rated highly by sources, one of whom notes, “He would always be in my top choices for the most difficult cases.” (Who's Who Legal - UK Bar: Mediation 2020)
    • Geoff Sharp (Brick Court Chambers) is highlighted by clients for being “really tenacious and determined to look at things from every angle to get the parties to talk.” He acts as a mediator in commercial disputes in New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East and UK. Another interviewee says:  "He's really sharp, asks the right questions, and knows when to intervene and when to give clients space.” (Chambers & Partners 2019)
    • Geoff Sharp is lauded as a “leading mediator” in the field by peers, with clients praising his “engaging manner, charm and intelligence”. He has considerable expertise as a mediator in international commercial conflicts. (Who's Who Legal 2018)
    • Geoff Sharp mediates high-end commercial disputes including significant national cases. He receives plaudits from peers, one of whom says “He is a mediation megastar. Geoff is hugely experienced and brings years of knowledge to each mediation.” (Who's Who Legal 2017)
    • Geoff Sharp is "one of New Zealand's pre-eminent mediators". He possesses "vast experience mediating in Asia and the Middle East". (Who's Who Legal 2016)
    • In the 2016 APAC Insider Legal Awards Geoff won category of Best Commercial Mediator in the Asia Pacific Region (citation here)
    • Geoff Sharp, a door tenant at Brick Court with his own practice in New Zealand, is once again included among our top 10 mediators and is regularly “in high demand for his practice covering the Asia-Pacific region” (Who's Who Legal 2015)
    • “Clients would go to Geoff Sharp “10 times out of 10”. A door tenant at Brick Court, he has conducted over a thousand mediations in New Zealand and worldwide, and is one of the most highly rated individuals on our international research” (Who's Who Legal 2014)
    • “Also in the region is Geoff Sharp who is “the leading mediator in New Zealand” for many of our respondents. He enjoys an “exceptional reputation” all over the world and has recently accepted a door tenancy at Temple’s Brick Court Chambers in London. Sharp is one of our most highly recommended practitioners” (Who's Who Legal 2013)