William Wood, QC is one of the UK's leading commercial mediators. He is consistently ranked in the top tier by both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. His mediation practice takes him to Dubai, Hong Kong, and New York as well as to all parts of the UK.  Bill Wood conducts around 80 mediations each year.

His mediations involve complex and high-profile matters including competition disputes, financial services, employment, share sales, internet and telecoms-related disputes, professional negligence, and international trade as well insurance, reinsurance, and aviation.

Bill also sits as an ICC arbitrator. He continues to be highly ranked by both directories (as he has been for many years) as an advocate in the areas of aviation and insurance.

Representative Matters

• ABTA v BA, Virgin, and Lufthansa, dispute over travel agents' commission on airline tickets
• Advising on application to CAA concerning runway extension at a major regional airport
• British Airways/Cityflyer merger, appeared for BA before Competition Commission on merger inquiry
• British Airways/the European Commission, travel agents' commissions Article 82 complaint to the European Commission
• British Sugar v NEI, interpretation of consequential loss limitation clause in engineering contract
• Cementation v Aegon, interpretation of insurance policy in engineering project
• Coral UK v Rechtman, liability of company director where company non-existent
• CTI v Oceanus, non-disclosure in insurance contract
• Dispute between certain leading bookmakers and TurfTV over the supply of live television pictures to betting shops
• Dispute between the British Waterways Board and the British Marine Federation over the structure of the marina industry
• Fitzgerald v Williams, international art fraud
• Glo-lite v Jasper Conran, dispute over termination of manufacturing license
• Helicopter crash, private arbitration
• In re Firm X, solicitor's conflict of interest
• Kegworth Air Crash
• Killick v Goss, application of Warsaw convention to helicopter crash
• Killick v Rendall, construction of travel insurance policy
• Lloyd's litigation, Wellington, Janson Green, and Secretan claims
• New Hampshire v Strabag Bau, Brussels Convention
• Pangood v Barclay Brown, duty of Lloyds broker to explain policy terms
• Polynesian v Tonga, airport security/stowaways Court of Appeal of Tonga
• Protea Leasing Ltd v Royal Air Cambodge Co Ltd, economic tort claim
• Saipem & Conoco v Dredging VO, liability of dredger owners for damage to pipeline

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Bencher, Middle Temple
• Member, Bar of Tonga
• Accredited CEDR mediator
• Member, CEDR Faculty
• Member, PIM Senior Mediators
• Mediator, Sport Resolutions (UK)
• Vice Chair and Member, Board of the Civil Mediation Council

Publications

• "Juggling Act," The Lawyer
• "Opinion: Halsey v Milton Keynes," The Lawyer
• "Mediation: The Next Ten Years," Master's Lecture to the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators subsequently published in the Chartered Institute Journal, 2007
• "My Toughest Mediation," The Mediator Magazine
• "When Girls Go Wild: The Debate Over Mediation Privilege," The Mediator Magazine

Background and Education

• Queen's Counsel, 1998
• Bar Finals, Council of Legal Education, London, 1980
• Master of Laws degree, Harvard Law School, 1979
• Kennedy Scholarship, Harvard Law School, 1978
• B.C.L., Oxford University, First class, 1978
• B.A. in law, Oxford University, First class, 1977
• Open scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford University, 1974