About Gerard Tomnay

LLB (Hons), MSOM, Mediator at The Property Mediation Centre

I am an independent accredited civil and commercial mediator and non-practicing solicitor who now uses my 30 years’ experience as a London based transactional real estate lawyer at leading firms to help people and corporates resolve their property (and other) disputes themselves, rather than going through the courts (saving time and money).

As a solicitor, I advised commercial and residential property owners and occupiers, developers, banks, venture capitalists, pension funds and insolvency practitioners on their property ownership, lending, investment, insurance, infrastructure projects, M&A deals, restructuring, leasing, due diligence and acquisition and disposal strategies at firms such as CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (when formerly Nabarro), Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (when formerly BLP), Penningtons Manches Cooper (when formerly Manches), Howard Kennedy, Kingsley Napley and latterly at Hogan Lovells.

This means:

  • I’m good at working with lawyers and their clients – I know the issues involved and speak the same language
  • I understand the interests on both sides of the fence, so can empathise with whatever side of the dispute you are on
  • I have a good insight into how and why property disputes arise and the environments they arise in, the wider impact they have on businesses and the people who run them, and the emotional drivers affecting the decision makers, so am well placed to help them navigate their route to settlement.
  • I have a depth of expertise in the real estate industry at a national and international level, which means I approach the dispute holistically by understanding the pressures involved and can therefore be more creative in helping people find their own practical solutions.

Being highly empathic means I’m good at building rapport and trust with people, which gives them confidence in the mediation process which is essential to them achieving what they consider to be good outcomes.

In short, I’m passionate about mediation and I help people settle their disputes by finding out what’s really going on so they can stop worrying and get on with what’s really important to them.

I am also a member of the Society of Mediators.