Developing the Field

ADR, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Future of mediation, mediation as a career, Partnering, Promoting Mediation, Reflective practise, Scotland

(Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London)/ /1 Comment

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Pablo Picasso. Last month I travelled to Edinburgh for the International Academy of Mediators conference, chaired and hosted by John Sturrock. The theme of the conference was “Looking outward – mediation: a new enlightenment?” Not only was…

ADR, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Europe, Future of mediation, Legislation, Mandatory mediation, Mediation Act, Regulation

(Meidanis Seremetakis & Associates)/ /Leave a comment

It cannot be suggested that mediation in Greece has been a success, yet. It cannot be said that it has been a failure either. The fact of the matter is that few cases have been to mediation to date in this country, hence in practice it is an unfamiliar process for citizens and companies. However,…

Developing the Field, General, Mediation and Society, memory, Poetry, Reflective practise

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /2 Comments

It may seem odd to suggest that a funeral and a book festival could, in the space of a few days, provide sources for a lot of reflection and – just possibly – mediation-related insight. Recently I flew from Auckland to Wellington to attend, and speak at, the funeral for a friend I’d known for…

ADR, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Future of mediation, ICC Mediation Competition, Mediation Practice

(University of New South Wales)/ /1 Comment

Life as a ‘pracademic’ is a wonderful experience. I have the pleasure of teaching intensive programs in ADR at postgraduate and undergraduate level and in between I work in my own practice as a mediator, facilitator and coach. A great life! My teaching life includes the privilege of training my university’s team for the ICC…

Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Efficiency, Policy

(ADR Center Romania)/ /Leave a comment

There aren’t many models of effective mediation legal frameworks that ensure sustainable systems of mediation. In fact, in most countries, the mediators don’t have demand and a real market for services. They are trying to convince users, lawyers, judges, policy makers, others and sometimes themselves that mediation is a viable option of the dispute resolution…

Commercial Mediation, Developing the Field, Future of mediation, Mediation Practice

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /Leave a comment

John Sturrock’s May 1st  thought-provoking blog post on mediator “fairness” styled itself a “provocation” and invited comment and response. Here’s mine. John, thank you for your thought-provoking blog post. My perspective is that of a Canadian commercial mediator with nearly 30 years experience and about 4,000 cases mediated, virtually all involving represented individual claimants and represented…

ADR, Developing the Field, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Lawyers, lawyers in mediation, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), Practical Challenges for Mediators, Stages of mediation

(NZ Centre for ICT Law & School of Law, Auckland University)/ /4 Comments

My guess is that most of my fellow authors on this blog, and probably a high proportion of readers, work in a mediation environment is which clients are represented by counsel. Indeed, if you track back over a number of entries in which matters of process are discussed, it seems typically assumed that counsel are…

Developing the Field, Personal Development, Training, Workplace Mediation

(Bond & Bond Mediation / University of Wildau )/ /1 Comment

Often in the field of mediation we hear complaints about there being too many mediators, too much training and not enough mediation. While I can understand the frustration about the size of the mediation market, I see great benefits in mediation training for people whose aim is not to become mediators and make a living…

ADR, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Negotiation

(Corporate counsel & author)/ /Leave a comment

While working on the manuscript for a book published last year (Negotiation: Things Corporate Counsel need to know but were not taught – Wolters Kluwer, 2017), I submitted a draft to an eclectic peer group from all around the world to gauge whether I was on the right track. The group comprised corporate counsel, business…

caucus, Commercial Mediation, Developing the Field, Experts, General, Joint Sessions, Lawyers, lawyers in mediation, Mediation Lawyering, Mediation Practice, mediation process, Mediation Users/Clients, Reflective practise, Scotland, Stages of mediation, The role of the mediator, Understanding mediation

(Core Solutions Group)/ /Leave a comment

Much has been said and written about the demise of the joint meeting in mediation. In my experience, such a view is premature and, I fear, is potentially wasteful of the power that mediation brings for creative problem-solving. I am also aware of how much the clients and others appreciate a creative approach to the…