Nick was born in Fareham, Hampshire and moved to the Isle of Wight as a child.

On leaving school, Nick started an engineering apprenticeship with Elliott Turbomachinery in Cowes moving, when qualified, to Vosper Shiprepair in Southampton before joining P&O as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. He sailed on the SS Canberra, Royal Princess and SS Uganda, the latter in the immediate aftermath of the Falklands conflict when garrison troops were being carried from Ascension Island to Port Stanley.

After leaving the sea, he read law at the University of Sussex and then attended law school in Chester. Nick joined the shipping and insurance practice Waltons & Morse in 1998 moving to Clyde & Co in 2000, where he was a senior lawyer for 12 years.

During that time, Nick was involved in the investigation and recovery aspects of some of the most predominant casualties which concerned cargo underwriters, including the HYUNDAI FORTUNE, ANIARA, CONTSHIP FRANCE and BOULARIBANK fire cases. He was also involved in the largest ‘No Win No Fee’ recovery ever achieved by Clyde & Co and is well known for his GA defence work.

Nick is a keen sailor and windsurfer.