Seminars – More information

Some examples of the topics covered in this talk are shown below.

This session also incorporates tips for mediating online, including managing time on the day and building rapport. 

– How to get the most out of meditation

– Effective preparation – before and during the mediation

– Assessing suitability for mediation

– When should counsel and/or experts attend?

– Why do some mediations not settle?

– Negotiation tactics

– Do’s and don’ts from a client and legal team perspective

– Opening Meetings

– Splitting into groups

– Use of Experts

– The methods of achieving settlement

– Tips for mediating online

Our mediators explore hot topics in the mediation sector. The Court of Appeal’s decision on Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. The UK signing up to the Singapore Convention on Mediation. Increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system. Unreasonable refusal to mediate looking at recent case law. Mediation confidentiality and privilege looking at recent authorities.

This is constantly being updated to reflect current developments. If you have a topic you would like the mediators to consider we would be delighted to put this to the team.

Mediation is about much more than legal arguments and numbers.  Even in the most commercial of disputes, there are often significant human and psychological issues at play which drive the parties’ decision-making.  Effective mediation advocates need to be aware of these, and aware of how best to respond.   Our seminars in this area deal with topics such as;

Influence – the importance of influence; how to influence; listening; curiosity; brevity and choice of focus; support or detraction for key message; signals/offers.

Fear & Concern – Of what? Why does it matter? What impact if unchecked?

Expectations – how to set them; expectations in each meeting; agency in each  meeting.

These affect all aspects of mediation such as – effective presentations, engaging better with the other parties, influence and persuasion, negotiating and offers. Our approach is not theoretical, but grounded in the reality of what is really happening in mediations and how best advisers and parties (as well as mediators) can respond.

We can tailor anything to meet your needs. You may want to put this out to your team and ask them if they could ask a mediator anything what would it be.

Send the list of questions you get back to us and we will put these into a presentation. This means your team are getting the answers to the questions most relevant to their matters, areas of practice, jurisdictions, and prior experience.

We have had a variety of requests for these bespoke sessions, from designing sessions tailored to a particular practice area to looking at top
tens. For example, ‘Top ten mistakes in mediation’ and ‘Top ten negotiation tips’. We are open to anything!

You may like a more in-depth session for those new to mediation or who have undertaken a small number, examining what works/doesn’t, challenges they have encountered, how to work better with the mediator, effective preparation and negotiation tactics. The longer format (approx. 2 hours) would enable more discussion.

We would be delighted to work with you to build something which is most useful and relevant for you.

Some examples of the topics covered in this talk are as follows:

– Characteristics of International Disputes

– Multi-jurisdictional factors

– Differing expectations from mediation and mediators role

– Agreement subject to English Law and Courts?

– Tech and use of videoconferencing platforms suitable for all

– Agreement to Mediate

– Process Design

– Language and Culture

– Dispute or Conflict

– Negotiations in International Disputes

– Singapore Convention

The aim of the mock mediation session is to demonstrate the process involved in conducting the mediation of a commercial dispute in a ‘live’ scenario. It allows those that haven’t yet been involved in a mediation to experience first hand the process and mediation techniques used.

This may be suitable for trainees within the firm, newly qualified solicitors or clients that you have spoken to about the process that may need to attend mediation on behalf of their organisations and would like to understand what this would entail.

We can run sessions purely for your own teams and also for your clients.

The mock mediation will be led by one of our mediators and based on a fictional, but realistic, dispute. It can then run in one of a number of ways including:

– Your own firms lawyers taking on the roles of clients and advisors. The event runs as a ‘show’ with the audience watching the action unfold. This is best for a one hour lunchtime / late afternoon session.
– Alternatively we can run a longer session with teams allocated roles such as the different parties, advisors, etc. with our mediator coordinating. This gives the attendees the opportunity to run through positions and discuss approach.

Whichever scenario is used there will be plenty of time for discussion and questions about what has been seen and how to get the best from mediation.