Overview
Stephen Baister brings over 30 years of experience in insolvency, company and commercial litigation to Three Stone’s mediation team.
Admitted as a solicitor in 1981, Stephen specialised in contentious insolvency and commercial work, often involving German clients or with another cross-border element. He became a licensed insolvency practitioner in 1985 and was one of few solicitors who took appointments as an office-holder. He also practised as a Rechtsbeistand, acting as a consultant to a major commercial law firm in Essen.
He was appointed as a bankruptcy registrar of the High Court in 1996, serving as chief registrar from 2004 until his retirement in 2017. While in office he lectured regularly on insolvency for the Judicial Studies Board and has also lectured or conducted seminars for the Chancery Bar Association, INSOL, R3 and the Rechtsanwaltsverein as well as contributing to practitioner texts such as Civil Procedure (The White Book) and Tolley’s Insolvency Law. He continues to sit as a deputy Insolvency Judge in the High Court.
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, an honorary Member of the Insolvency Lawyers Association and an honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management of which he is also president. He was the recipient of the Sabin Award for services to the insolvency profession in 2016 and was made an honorary bencher of Lincoln’s Inn in 2017.
Stephen will act as a mediator primarily in insolvency, insolvency-related and company law cases but will consider appointments in other commercial law disputes where appropriate.
Areas of expertise
Languages
German (good); French and Spanish (adequate)
- New mediation group launched by Three Stone 1 October 2024
- Court of Appeal increases pressure on parties to agree to mediation: Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 4 December 2023
- Is mediation suited to the resolution of insolvency litigation? 29 May 2023
- “Bankruptcy: law and practice” co-authored by Stephen Baister published 17 February 2023