Nicola Mumford

My main role is to prevent our clients ever seeing the inside of a court room! I am acutely aware of how time consuming and expensive court appearances can be, so find the quickest and most cost-effective dispute resolution. I'm also responsible for the day-to-day operation of Waterhouse Square.

Tel: +44 (0)870 733 0577

Email: nicola_mumford@wragge.com

Best brains in ...

I am pretty steeped in the automotive industry with clients ranging from Land Rover to Prodrive. With that goes all the knowledge of the importance of the supply chain and keeping that chain intact in any industry. That has also involved a fair few injunctions in my time both prohibitory - preventing someone from doing something, or mandatory (much more difficult to get!) - making someone do something.

Highlight of your career so far?

The most extreme case would be having to go to the Court of Appeal to recuse (remove) a judge who made some singularly inappropriate comments about our client giving the impression that he was quite clearly biased against our client and his case. But the real highlight would be the Land Rover/UPF case which involved one of the mandatory injunctions where, with the help of my competition partner, Bernardine Adkins, we applied to the court for an emergency mandatory injunction. This made sure a vital component for the Land Rover Discovery continued to be supplied to keep the car in production and over 10,000 people in employment!

Then there was also the case where we found a ten carat flawless diamond in the safety deposit box of a defendant in Guernsey which helped us re-pay all the creditors of a bank which the owner of the diamond had defrauded!

Most challenging job you've ever done?

It is the Landrover/UPF case because the odds of getting a mandatory injunction were so tiny. But also because we had a media battle to fight as well as the court battle in trying to show that a giant like the Ford Motor Company was a victim not a villain.

What about outside the UK?

Much of my work is outside the UK. Most recently the trend has been advising various clients in jurisdictions such as Russia and the Middle East; in particular agency and distribution where the local agent or distributor is so heavily protected. Equally, project managing several matters for US clients in continental Europe has helped me understand both approaches. Including learning that in Belgium settlement negotiations have to be conducted in the office of the oldest lawyer which led me to add years to my age and not take them off! My role on the Council of the International Bar Association gives me a unique insight into dispute resolutions in many diverse jurisdictions.

What's your definition of going the extra mile... And when have you done it?

One client was kind enough to say that I had 'an unnerving knack of knowing what he wanted before he did!' As far as dedication to client care is concerned you just have to be there 24/7 and I am!

Best example of a creative legal solution?

Taking the decision not to participate in High Court proceedings. We acted for one of two Russian brothers who were being sued by some shareholders of an English plc of which they were directors/shareholders. One brother had already accepted service of proceedings and although the case was ultimately dismissed costs were incurred of hundreds of thousands of pounds in defending the case. By refusing to accept service and keeping a low profile watching brief on behalf of our client, we achieved the right result for our client but for a fraction of the price.

When have you ever given a client a real competitive edge?

By threatening to apply for a mandatory injunction to ensure continued supply of a vital component to a second tier supplier, we gave the client a real competitive edge in its negotiations with the supplier as it was no longer sure it could hold our client to ransom. The other side had said the price was on its way north but our threatened application meant the price ended up somewhere around Hobart!

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

I have assisted in overturning a US court's decision on the jury's bias in the light of the defendant being manacled during the trial. Equally we were able to recover for Oxfam monies stolen from them by an employee on another pro bono case.

I have chaired the Birmingham branch of the National Children's Home in the past and one of the highlights of that has been gathering together local artists who will donate original paintings and sculptures for auction. The highest price reached for a painting at an auction was of the twin towers which was donated immediately before they were destroyed. The auction took place immediately afterwards and with the agreement of the NCH the proceeds of that painting went to the funds for the victims of 9/11.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

I am really proud of the fact that the directories recognise my 'completely uncompromising approach to client care' Chambers UK.