ADR, Cross-cultural, Dispute Resolution, Efficiency, Future of mediation, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Status

(ADR Center Romania)/ /2 Comments

In the past 20 years or so, we witnessed an intensification of the litigation rate as the world became more globalized and people saw lawsuits as the only real alternative to a negotiated agreement. That created high caseloads, extended periods of time until final judgments, discouraging high litigation costs, dissatisfaction with the outcomes and lack…

Argument, Cohen, mediation models, Monty Python, Negotiation

(First Mediation Corporation)/ /Leave a comment

There is a famous sketch by Monty Python in which the lead character (Michael Palin) is looking to buy a five-minute argument. He walks into an office where the receptionist offers him some options. One of the options involves a person who is too conciliatory. She decides that there is a good argument available and…

Developing the Field, Future of mediation, General

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /1 Comment

On 10 October 2013, Lord Woolf delivered the Singapore Mediation Lecture 2013 to a packed auditorium. The second lecture in this series, the Singapore Mediation Lecture is a result of a partnership between the Singapore Mediation Centre, the Singapore Management University School of Law and Harry Elias Partnership. The inaugural Singapore Mediation Lecture was held…

Europe, International Mediation, Legislation, Mediation Act, mediation models, Uncategorized

(CMS)/ /2 Comments

The “Italian mediation explosion” attracted a lot of attention from the international mediation community. The mediation explosion came to a sudden halt in December 2012, when the Italian Constitutional Court ruled that the provisions had been unconstitutional. Just recently, on September 20, 2013, a new regulation came into effect, again opting for mandatory mediation, but…

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

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

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…

ADR, Arbitration, Commercial Mediation, Developing the Field, mediation as a career

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Each September for the past 11 years, Cologne University, under the auspices of CENTRAL (the Center for Transnational Law: http://www.central.uni-koeln.de), and in Association with the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS: www.dis-arb.de) has hosted a Summer Academy in International Commercial Arbitration. More recently – 8 years ago – an academy on mediation was added, to run…

ADR, Commercial Mediation, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.)

(Mediar360 - Dispute Resolution )/ /Leave a comment

After a long wait, Corporate Mediation is slowly becoming recognized as an important settlement tool outside the small circle of current practitioners and enthusiasts, reaching a widespread audience which was unimaginable in Brazil not long ago. Among other evidence, a regulatory framework for Corporate Mediation is currently being debated at the Brazilian Senate, the traditional…

Court Procedure and Litigation, Judges as mediators, Public Policy, Reform

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /Leave a comment

The Civil Justice system in Ontario is broken; badly broken. Not a week goes by without another report decrying the sad state of affairs in our Courts. Consider the article from the most recent Law Times entitled, “Lawyers frustrated as motion delays hit 7 months”. The articles quotes Roger Oatley, one of the deans of the…