Matthew S Martin
FCIArb PGDipArb FRICS DipUrbVal
Chartered Arbitrator, Chartered Surveyor

Matthew was born and bred in New Zealand, studied at Auckland University for four years and qualified as a registered Valuer in 1973. He settled in London in the early 1980s and went back to University to obtain his membership of the RICS which he has held ever since. He spent the 1980s working in property development.

In the lat 1980s he founded Martins, now established and trading as Martin DeVarga. In the early 2000s he discovered what he terms as his calling – dispute resolution. Inspired by this vision he returned to University and graduated in 2004 with a Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration. He quickly followed this with two years of pupilage with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators where he obtained his letters.

On the odd occasion he represents clients at the Lands Valuation Tribunal appearing as an Advocate or Expert Witness. Numerous legal firms appoint him to get his views on professional negligence issues. This often leads to attendance in Court as an Expert Witness.

He acts as Chairman of assessment panels on behalf of the RICS in London and Poland. He is a member of the Polish Court of Arbitration; a member of the RICS Arbitrators Panel, and on the Presidential Property Dispute Services Panel of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Occasionally Matthew sets papers for The College of Estate Management and every so often gives talks at international arbitration and property conferences. He sits on the Examination Board of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

“Real Estate is one of the bedrocks of wealth creation. It is my background – always has, always will be. Chartered Surveying involves undertaking an autopsy on information, a forensic examination of the facts. These actions always lead to a logical conclusion.

Dispute Resolution is all about finding answers to four things: what was meant to happen, what did happen, why and what were the consequences. Follow that trail and you establish the fact. Establish the fact and you will see the solution. The thought process in surveying and dispute resolution is the same. That is why the joint qualifications make for the perfect marriage. That explains my interest in dispute resolution.

I like to keep things simple. Simple ideas lead to simple and logical conclusions. I, therefore, work under the KISS principle and believe D/E.1.”