Steven Smithson is a barrister with almost 30 years of commercial, professional and legal practice experience. Quite apart from being an excellent lawyer, he has specific industry expertise, having primarily had a hands-on professional career as an entrepreneur and a Quantity Surveyor.
Steven is noted for his written and oral advocacy in litigation, often involving complex technical and legal issues. His skill is in identifying and presenting the central issues in a case. He represents his client’s interests efficiently, while presenting cases tactfully and forcefully.

In the Construction and Engineering industry, Brandon initially trained and practised as a Professional Quantity Surveyor, starting with the world’s first known Quantity Surveying firm, Henry Cooper & Sons established in 1775. Thereafter, Steven spent several more years as a Construction Project Manager during which he had first-hand managerial responsibility for the planning, organising, directing and delivery of multi-million-pound construction and engineering projects, including the Harlequin Shopping Centre in Watford for Capital & Counties Plc, and the regeneration of London’s Canary Wharf business district with Lehrer McGovern International and Olympia & York.
Steven has been involved in designing, negotiating and implementing the most innovative and profitable relationship arrangements covering all aspects of talent employment, intellectual property rights including image rights, merchandising, sponsorship, licencing and broadcasting rights. He also worked as a Property Developer for several years dealing with all aspects of complex land assembly, design development, development appraisals, planning consents, project financing, development procurement and management, asset disposals and retention within a portfolio.

In commerce, corporations, and law firms, Steven also has held senior managerial, in-house counsel positions and directorships for many years. He has had full profit responsibility for business planning and delivery including corporate governance. Steven has also worked within the sports industry for several years at the highest levels as an FA-Registered Lawyer with the highest profile personnel, clubs and organisations.
With this significant experience and broad horizon, Steven understands life outside of the law. He appreciates that legal advice and representation cannot be given in a bubble, but within a business context.
Understanding the pressures faced daily by company directors, solicitors, agents, accountants, architects, quantity surveyors, engineers or other professional advisers, he prefers to avoid legal jargon and speak the client’s language to bring a refreshing down-to-earth approach to the expert analysis of any commercial and legal matter.


Related Expertise
Adjudication
Arbitration
Company Law
Construction & Engineering Law
Litigation
Private Client Services
Property Law;


​Education & Qualifications

Public Access / Direct Access Qualified
Authorised by the Bar Standards Board to Conduct Litigation
Barrister at Law, Brandon's Inn, London, England
Post Graduate Diploma in Law
MSc Project Management & Property Development
BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying
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Professional Affiliations

Member of the Honourable Society of Brandon's Inn
Member of the Commercial Bar Association
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
C I Arb. Trained Adjudicator
Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Member of the Chartered Institute of Building
Member of the London Chamber of Commerce
Member of the London Court of International Arbitration
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