Legal Practice

ADR, Arbitration, Bias, Clients, Combined Clauses, Commercial Mediation, Cross-cultural, Dispute Resolution, Evaluative Mediation, General, Hong Kong, Humorous Pieces, International Courts, International Mediation, Jurisdiction, Legal Issues, Legal Practice, Med-Arb Clauses, Mediation Outcomes, Mediators’ Conduct, Pre-arbitration Dispute Settlement Procedures, Public Policy, Uncategorized

(Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy)/ /Leave a comment

Hong Kong is the global city of designer ‘labels’ as even the most reluctant of shoppers cannot fail to observe. It is also the city of fakes – fakes with labels and fakes without labels – and the place where the ‘No Fake’ label and the ‘No Label’ label thrive! Confused? Well don’t worry, Hong…

ADR, Book Review, Business, Court Procedure and Litigation, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Domestic Courts, Legal Practice, UN and International Organizations

(CMS)/ /Leave a comment

While the world becomes ever faster-paced, litigating business disputes are unchangeably slow. The recently published World Bank’s “Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World” report shows that state court procedures in most countries remain lengthy, costly and complicated. Although this is not good news for anyone, as a side effect, the flaws…

Developing the Field, Efficiency, Lawyers, Legal Practice, Mediation Outcomes, Mediators’ Conduct, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Public Policy, Training

(Pel Mediation)/ /1 Comment

Yesterday night, sitting in the theatre and looking at a very sophisticated balance-act of two chinese dancers, I thought of a mediation session this week. I saw myself balancing while walking a tightrope between the parties in the room looking for possibilities if and how this tightrope walking could change into a red carpet welcome…

Australia, Legal Practice, Legislation

(National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council)/ /Leave a comment

Australia is passing legislation encouraging parties to most forms of civil disputes to take genuine steps to resolve their dispute prior to commencing litigation. The idea came from a report of NADRAC (National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council) of which I am the new Chair. NADRAC advises the Commonwealth Attorney-General and has been in existence…

Bias, Confidentiality, Confidentiality and Transparency, Costs in Mediation, Court Procedure and Litigation, Legal Issues, Legal Practice, Uncategorized

(Eleven Wentworth)/ /Leave a comment

1. Unlike the arbitral process where courts strive to distinguish between the concepts of a private process and a confidential process, the mediation process is indisputably and inherently confidential. But what happens if one party breaches this confidentiality during the mediation? In formal terms, can the act by one party in breach be treated as…

ADR, Legal Issues, Legal Practice, Legislation, Mediation Act, Mediation Practice, National Mediation Laws, Public Policy

(Mediare)/ /Leave a comment

CNJ, the National Justice Council created on December 31st, 2004, and set up on June 14th, 2005 is an organization of the Brazilian Justice Department, with headquarters in the Federal District. It covers the whole national territory aiming at the coordination, administrative control and improvement of public services as far as Justice is concerned. Its…

Court Procedure and Litigation, Legal Practice

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /Leave a comment

The economic challenges facing society have finally hit the civil justice system. Courthouses have seen huge cutbacks, and San Francisco has all but shutdown civil jury trials. No one thought this was going to happen to such a venerable institution as the jury system, but in these difficult times, nothing is sacred. Reduced budgets translate…