Commercial Mediation, Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Efficiency, Future of mediation, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), harmonisation of mediation law, Hong Kong, International Courts, International Law, International Legal Theory and Teaching, International Mediation, Lawyers, Lawyers and Psychologists, mediation as a career, Mediation Outcomes, Mediation Practice, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), mediation traditions, Mediation Users/Clients, Mediators’ Conduct, Memory and Illusions, Mentoring, Mistakes, Singapore, Standards, Status, Stories, Success in mediation, Switzerland, Understanding mediation, War Stories

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Having last week returned to New Zealand from Singapore where I was honoured take part in the launch of the ICC Mediation Rules, I saw first hand the support for mediation in Singapore from powerful institutions like the Singapore Judiciary and the Ministry of Law. Singapore, and my guess is Asia in general, is in the…

Conventional wisdom, Lawyers, Mediation Lawyering, Mediation Outcomes, Mediation Practice, Mediation Users/Clients, Mediators’ Conduct, Mentoring, Stages of mediation

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Regular readers of this blog may recall my 10 tips for participants who took part in the recent ICC Commercial Mediation Competition held in Paris – a wonderful time was had by all but that’s for another post. One of those tips was about keeping it real and suggesting a ‘steel fist inside a velvet glove’…

ADR, Commercial Mediation, Europe, International Mediation, Skills, Success in mediation, Uncategorized, Understanding mediation

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The annual ICC Commercial Mediation Competition is about to kick off in Paris, France on 7 February 2014 and as I write this 500 students from over 40 countries will be making their way to The City of Light by trains, planes and bus. Teams are drawn from law and business schools across the globe and…

Below the line, Commercial Mediation, Communication, Confidentiality, Confidentiality and Transparency, conlfict coaching, Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Developing the Field, Ethics, Future of mediation, General, Instinct, Interests, Language, Lawyers, Mediation Lawyering, mediation models, Mediation Practice, Mistakes, Skills, Stages of mediation, Uncategorized, Understanding mediation, War Stories

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This is where I did my best work in Christmas week – in the twilight zone between the joint session room to the right of the water cooler and the private caucus room off to the left by the green bins. Corridors can be furtive and risky spaces on mediation days – ‘don’t ask me…

Accreditation, ADR Clauses, Commercial Mediation, Conciliation, Corporate Counsel's View, Cross-cultural, EU Directive on Mediation, EU Mediation Directive, Europe, European Law, Future of mediation, General, Governments/Public Sector, International Courts, International Law, International Mediation, Mediation Agreement, Mediation Contract Clause, Uncategorized

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The new ICC Rules of Mediation were unveiled this week at a global launch in Paris. Coming into force on 1 January 2014, the new ICC Rules will replace the ICC ADR Rules that have been used for amicable dispute resolution worldwide since 2001. The new Rules have been adapted to help parties resolve even…

ADR Clauses, Business, Causes of Conflict, Combined Clauses

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I don’t mean to argue against the undeniable wisdom of inserting a dispute resolution clause in a commercial contract at the drafting stage. Conventional wisdom says settle your disputes as early as possible – like bubbles off the ocean floor, conflict expands as it rises to the surface and finally explodes into the air. What’s not…

'Money-only' Cases, Apologies, Apology, Causes of Conflict, Commercial Mediation, Communication, General, Interests, mediation models, Mediation Practice, Mediation Users/Clients, Settlement Agreements, Skills

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This week I spoke to a group of young legal practitioners here in New Zealand. I aimed low and went back to source. I suspect I got more of a kick out of it than anyone at the session. So, mediators, look away. There is nothing new here. But users, occasional or repeat, I hope these three…

Apology, Civil rights, Cross-cultural, Developing the Field, Discrimination, General, Interests, Language, Mediation Practice, Mediation Schemes (In Courts, etc.), National Mediation Laws, Stories, Success in mediation

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While these mediations are commercial at heart, they beat with a cultural pulse and there is a sense of majesty as the Crown sits down to kōrero with Iwi … gather around, for the history of the real Middle Earth is not one of hobbits and magical rings, but of a people struggling to coexist in a…

'Money-only' Cases, Appointment of Mediators, Business, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Communication, Conventional wisdom, Due Process, Family Mediation, insider and outsider mediators, mediation as a career, mediation traditions, Skills, Stories

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Not so long ago I was a claiming party as part of a group of plaintiffs in the stead of my elderly parents in a multiparty, multimillion dollar mediation. Now, I mediate around 120 mediations every year as a commercial mediator here in New Zealand so it was with a mix of personal apprehension and professional curiosity…

'Money-only' Cases, Appointment of Mediators, Availability of Mediators, Commercial Mediation, Conventional wisdom, Corporate Counsel's View, Dispute Resolution, Evaluative Mediation, Future of mediation, General, Instinct, Lawyers, Mediation Outcomes, Mediation Practice, mediation traditions, Skills, Surveys

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Most mediators I know graduated from the Facilitative School of Mediation – and we could spend much ink here debating exactly what that means but to my mind we were essentially taught to own the process and butt out of the outcome. Recently there have been a number of calls for mediators to do more – more what is…