Conor Maher

My Approach

I approach all matters diligently, and strive to provide clear, sensible, and practical advice to achieve the best possible outcome for my clients. I appreciate that the litigation process can be sensitive and stressful for individuals and businesses alike. As such, I adopt a straightforward, pragmatic, and pro-active approach in representing my clients. I am conscious that disputes can be daunting and business-critical, and so I endeavour to resolve disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I take pride in delivering a high quality service to my clients in an efficient, professional, and timely manner. I work passionately to ensure client satisfaction not only with the quality of my work, but also with the standard of my service.

I enjoy working closely with businesses and individuals to provide clear, strategic, and commercially sensitive advice. I am a strong advocate for the use of alternative dispute resolution, including the use of mediation to avoid disproportionate litigation where possible.

Client feedback:

“I have worked with more solicitors than I care to admit over the years and I must confess that it is rare to have been as satisfied with the service as I have been on this occasion.” (Anonymous, 2022)

Area of Expertise

My practice deals with a range of civil and commercial matters representing both businesses and individuals, including dealing with high-value and complex litigation before the High Court alongside claims before the County Court.

As a Solicitor Advocate, I regularly represent clients at court (at all levels) in both civil/commercial and regulatory proceedings where appropriate and proportionate to do so, and am also an experienced and successful mediation advocate.

Dispute Resolution

I am an experienced civil and commercial dispute resolution specialist, with particular expertise in:

• Contract Disputes;
• Commercial Litigation (both in the County Court and High Court);
• Judicial Review;
• Share Purchase Disputes;
• Director/Boardroom and Shareholder Disputes;
• Professional Negligence Claims;
• Commercial Debt Recovery; and
• Alternative Dispute Resolution including Negotiation and Mediation (SCMA Advanced Mediation Advocate).

Regulatory Law

I am a widely recognised contentious regulatory practitioner with experience dealing with a range of regulatory investigations and disputes, including:

• DVLA medical revocation and licencing disputes;
• Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle licence appeals;
• Firearms and Shotgun licencing disputes;
• Health & Safety investigations and prosecutions;
• Local Authority and Trading Standards investigations and prosecutions; and
• Professional discipline matters and internal investigations.

Advocacy

I am a well-regarded Solicitor Advocate with an exceptional reputation for advocacy, having been noted by the Legal 500 guide to have an “exceptional reputation for advocacy in the county courts”. I am often instructed to act on behalf of clients of Ellis Jones to attend interlocutory and substantive hearings and Trials, and have also appeared in Court as agent on behalf of other firms of solicitors. I am a particularly experienced County Court advocate who routinely deals with:

• Contested Application Hearings
• Directions Hearings and Costs/Case Management Hearings
• Residential and Commercial Property Possession Hearings
• Part 8 Hearings
• Substantive Hearings, Final Hearings, and Trials
• Regulatory Hearings within the Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Court

Professional Development

Outside of my litigation practice, I am regularly asked to deliver legal training webinars and seminars across a host of subjects for various external organisations including MBL Seminars, Legal Futures, local Law Societies, and others.

I am often asked to deliver sessions to legal professionals and others across a range of topics, including:

• Civil Litigation Practice and Procedure
• County Court Advocacy
• Mediation Advocacy and Skills
• Consumer Contract Regulations
• Privilege
• Limitation Periods
• Residential Possession
• Advising on DVLA Medical Revocations
• Taxi/PHV Licensing Appeals

Recent Work

Dispute Resolution Work Highlights

• Judicial Review – Represented a community interest group in a successful planning decision challenge before the High Court.
• Shareholder Disputes – Successfully negotiated a £3Million share buy-back for shareholder clients in respect of a high-value family-owned business.
• Commercial Disputes – Successfully defended a complex breach of contract and professional negligence claim through to trial, recovering almost £30,000 in legal costs for the client.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution – Negotiated a successful mediated agreement against a large Magic Circle law firm in respect of a complex intellectual property and contractual dispute.

Regulatory Work Highlights

• Firearms Licensing – Successfully negotiated with Dorset Police to facilitate the return of a Firearms Licence following an unsuccessful criminal prosecution.
• Taxi/PHV Licensing – Regularly instructed to act on behalf of Taxi and PHV Licence Drivers in result of Licensing Committee, Magistrates’ Court, and Crown Court appeals against decisions to refuse or revoke drivers’ licences.
• DVLA Medical Appeals – Successfully represented a large number of clients in securing the return of driving licences medically revoked by the DVLA, including the return of a licence for an elderly driver whose licence had been revoked after an incorrect diagnosis of cognitive impairment following an incident of sepsis/infection.
• Regulatory Discipline – Advising private clubs (in particular a Local Football Club, and an Armed Forces Club), in respect of internal investigations and regulatory discipline proceedings.
• Food Safety Investigations – Represented a takeaway restaurant owner in a voluntary interview under caution and made representations to avoid criminal prosecution.

Advocacy Highlights

• Instructed to advocate on behalf of a PHV Driver during an appeal against TfL before HHJ Durran sitting at the Old Bailey (Central London Criminal Court); resulting in the appeal being granted, the client’s licence saved, and almost 100% of costs being recovered from TfL.
• Instructed as agent on behalf of another solicitors’ firm to advocate on behalf of their client in a contested Police Property Act application in relation to stolen property, securing the return of a high-value car to the client from whom it had been sold (as stolen goods), as opposed to whom it had been stolen from.
• Routinely instructed to pursue possession orders in complex residential possession cases across the South West and London.
• Conducted a successful application for a ‘show cause’ hearing to be listed in respect of a wasted costs application against another firm of solicitors who had failed to respond to correspondence for a number of moths.
• Successfully defended at Trial a regulatory prosecution against the Security Industry Authority in relation to offences under the Private Security Industry Act.

Professional Associations & Qualifications

• Ranked as a Key Lawyer and Leading Associate in The Legal 500 UK 2025 for Commercial Litigation - described as having "exceptional reputation for advocacy in the county courts". Conor is also the only non-partner at the firm to be individually ranked, and one of only 4 lawyers to be named a ‘Leading Associate’ for Commercial Litigation across the whole of Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall.
• Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 UK 2024 guide for both Commercial Litigation, and Property Litigation - "Conor Maher is extremely good with clients and has a tireless work ethic."
• LLB (Hons) Law with European Legal Study (University of Exeter)
• Law and International Relations (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid)
• PgDip Legal Practice (University of Law)
• Higher Courts Advocate / Solicitor Advocate (Civil)
• SCMA/ADR Group Advanced Mediation Advocate
• Accredited Police Station Representative (University of Cardiff)
• Treasurer of the Bournemouth & District Law Society
• Civil Litigation Representative to the Bournemouth & District Law Society’s Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee
• Treasurer of the Bournemouth & District Junior Lawyers Division (2020 to 2023)
• Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)