Femi, a guru at brokering transactions recently got caught with the mediation bug and decided it was a path he would like to thread in his professional sojourn. Immediately he picked up some books and read up material on mediation after which he boasted to me that given his transactional experience and acumen, mediation would…
Mediation is a reality that has come to stay in the dispute resolution sector. Its advantages have been mouthed by all and its relevance continues to expand in scope and depth. Mediation training courses have become best sellers in most jurisdictions as the lawyers and other professionals scramble for knowledge of the process. However, one…
With the decrease in self help as a means of resolving disputes several have sought the traditional courts for the resolution of their disputes but with much anguish as the cases continually drag till the judgment when it is, for the most part, at best nothing more than a pyrrhic judgment. This is more hard…
The recent political crises in Mali created quite a scare in Africa which was working hard to position itself as a peaceful and stable haven for investments and democratic government. The reasons for the coup and the resulting circumstances are now public knowledge. One striking thing though, is the role of internationally led mediation in…
With all the surrounding pomp and pageantry particularly in the African culture, seating through a wedding ceremony by couple could be quite splendid. Optimisms are usually high as couple fantasize about a future of possibilities for each other and their children. In contrast, seating through a child custody legal battle can be quite horrific as…
Globally, the political landscape is currently heated up and does not seem to be abating soon! All but two of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are gearing up for leadership changes this year and the pressure of election almost dictates the world’s socio-political space. China is in a transition with leadership…
I will never forget my first day in a mediation class where one word that reverberated over a hundred times was “interest, interest and interest”! “Focus on underlying interests’ was the phrase that dominated the experience that I truly got bored. That was a mistake as I bungled the very first mediation I was called…
It is no secret that professionals are proud and independent minded. The best professionals in most fields, mediation inclusive, tend to develop uniqueness attributable specifically to their practice and guard their space with the most passionate force they can muster. This is because most professions have an element of art attached to it. It is…
Years ago, I participated in a Richard Salem led mediation skills acquisition training for retired Judges and I will never forget the words of a just retired Chief Judge contemplating a career in mediation “ Kenny, you mean I will just listen without telling the parties what to do? Impossible! Not me!”. I have seen…
Anyone who saw the 2010 Wimbledon match between Nicholas Mahut and John Isner would appreciate my feelings as I watched an almost endless play of wits during a recent energy deal in which I had been appointed as Transaction Counsel. Clearly, parties to the deals had their cards and kept playing it in a bid…
