Nicholas Lee
Nick is Managing Director, a Costs Lawyer and an Accredited Mediator. He is the founder of Paragon Costs Solutions and Legal Costs Resolutions. He has specialised in costs since 2001.
Nick is a Past President of Bristol Law Society. He is a Trustee for Quartet Community Foundation, chairing their Finance and Investment committee, and a Trustee for Bristol Old Vic. He is also on Lexis’ Dispute Resolution Panel.
Nick is Chair of the Ethnic Solicitors South West Network which won the Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year at the Bristol Law Society 2024 Annual Awards.
Nick worked in-house from 2001, initially attaining Associate status, and thereafter becoming Director of Costs and then an Equity Partner.
In 2011, Nick created Paragon Costs Solutions which now has offices in London and Bristol. Clients have included many top 100 law firms, niche commercial practices, local authorities, insurers and international banks.
Advocacy, technical support, business development and client management are his primary responsibilities. Known for always being commercial and practical, colleagues and clients appreciate how thoroughly Nick assesses the merits in any claims, before giving his experienced and realistic advice.
Nick specialises in high value and complex commercial litigation. He is a regular advocate in the High Courts.
Reported Cases include
Cooke and others v Woodchurch House Limited [2023] EWHC 3318 (SCCO)
Micula and others v Romania [2023] UKSC 2018/0177 (23 May 2023)
Reed v Woodward Property Developments Ltd & Anor [2023] EWHC 36 (SCCO) (12 January 2023)
Bocacina Ltd v Boca Cafes Ltd [2014] EWHC 26 (IPEC).
Practice Area
Panels
- Case Analysis Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- 2009
Membership
- Bristol Law Society
- London Solicitors Litigation Association
Education
- Downend School 1995-2000
- AALCD January 2009
- FALCD January 2011
- Costs Lawyer April 2011
1 Contributions by Nicholas Lee
PRACTICE NOTES
Challenging funding arrangements and retainers: CFAs, DBAs, third-party funding, disclosure and enforceability (England and Wales)
This Practice Note addresses challenges to funding arrangements linked to retainers and covers:
what constitutes a funding arrangement
reasons to contest a funding arrangement
methods for challenging a retainer-based funding arrangement
For wider guidance on challenging contracts, see: Terminating contracts—how and when a contract ends—overview. For general background on litigation funding, see Practice Notes: Litigation funding—introduction to funder’s perspective; Litigation funding application process.
What is a funding arrangement?
Funding arrangements fall into two types:
a mechanism that operates as, or alongside, the solicitor–client retainer (a retainer-based funding arrangement)
a contract under which a third-party funder finances the proceedings for a litigant (third-party litigation funding)
Distinguishing between these categories matters, as different routes of challenge apply and distinct costs recovery rules and principles govern each type.
Retainer-based funding arrangements
Retainer-based funding arrangements usually take the form of, or are ancillary to, the retainer/contract between solicitor and client, and set out how legal fees are to be paid...
Dispute Resolution
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