Nicola Mead-Batten
Nicola is a Partner in our Commercial Disputes team. She also leads Capital’s Public Law and Regulatory practice, where she advises public bodies and regulators – as well as those they regulate – on statutory powers and decision-making processes.
Nicola advises in the health care, professional services, gambling and media sectors, as well as multinational companies in commercial litigation and arbitration cases.
She has a keen interest in pro bono work and has worked on projects for Save the Children, the Public International Law & Policy Group and UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency.
During Nicola’s career, she’s spent nine years at a City firm, in London and its office in Melbourne, Australia. She’s also been seconded to the Professional Standards Authority, Accenture, and the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund.
I am delighted to provide a reference for Capital Law and, in particular, Nicola Mead-Batten and Stephen Meade. We expect our external lawyers to embody our core values of professionalism, value and responsiveness, and Capital have been highly impressive against all three measures.
From the very early stages of their instruction, Nicola and Stephen have demonstrated obvious technical ability, a real capacity for lateral thinking, and great commercial acumen. Underpinned by sound legal analysis, they are always a step ahead in identifying the next critical questions to be addressed and, in a fast-moving regulatory environment, this has proved to be a real asset. There is clearly a breadth of talent across the team at Capital, as demonstrated by the quality of work carried out at all levels of the team. They are personable, enthusiastic, engaged and committed to the client’s interests. They have unquestionably added considerable value to every project in which they have been involved and I am pleased to recommend their services, particularly in the public and administrative law spheres.
Chris Kenny, Chief Executive, Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland
- Acting for the British Medical Association in a High Court challenge to the former Secretary of State for Health’s decision to impose a centralised contract on junior doctors across England.
- Pursued for the BMA a test case for a breach of junior doctors’ terms of employment successfully to the Court of Appeal and defeated the defendant’s application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. The result affects all junior doctors and has far reaching repercussions for the NHS.
- Advising the Solicitors Regulation Authority on various aspects of its innovative changes to the Solicitors Handbook.
- Advising the Gambling Commission in relation to various data protection matters and its statutory powers and responsibilities vis-à-vis licensed operators.
- Regularly advising a large university in Wales on its data protection and freedom of information law queries, as well as student complaints.
- Representing an Australian independent corporate advisory firm in defence of high value, multi-international-defendant unlawful means conspiracy proceedings brought in the High Court in London.
- Acting for a global logistics company in defending high value proceedings brought by its franchisees in connection with an alleged bonus arrangement.
- Acting for a medical defence organisation in relation to a judicial review brought by a competitor to the government’s decision to create a state-backed indemnity scheme for GPs including principles of state aid.
- Acting for a Silicon Valley tech company in defence of a Part 20 action brought by an international online ticket selling company in connection with a high-profile data breach affecting its customers in 2018.
- Acting for a trade union in a judicial review challenge against the Chancellor relating to the Public Sector Exit Payment Regulations.
- Public bodies powers and decision making
- Statutory interpretation
- Judicial review
- Regulatory law
- Freedom of information and data protection
- Risk and reputation management
- Investigations
- Complex litigation (High Court to Supreme Court, and LCIA and ICC arbitrations)
- Reviewing commercial contracts
- Mediation and ADR
Career
- Partner, Capital Law Limited (Nov 2017 – present)
- Associate, Capital Law LLP (Jun 2015 – Nov 2017)
- Senior Associate, Baker & McKenzie (Jul 2013 – May 2015)
- Associate Solicitor, Baker McKenzie Australia (Jan 2013 – Jul 2013)
- Associate Solicitor, Baker McKenzie (Sept 2008 – Dec 2012)
- Trainee Solicitor, Baker McKenzie (Sept 2006 – Aug 2008)
Education
- Nottingham Trent University: Legal Practice Course (2005 – 2006)
- University of Warwick: BA Law & Sociology (2000 – 2004)
Memberships / Trustee Positions
- The Law Society of England and Wales
- Board member of Sport Wales
- PULSA (Public Law Solicitors’ Association)
- Founding member of YPLG (Young Public law Lawyers’ Group)