Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It is a meeting or a series of meetings that takes place with an independent mediator who encourages the parties to reach their own agreement to resolve the dispute or litigation between them. It is the purpose of every mediation to find the specific agreement which is acceptable to all parties, and which settles the dispute without the need for court intervention. It is a voluntary process.
This mediation technique is often described as “turbo-charged negotiation” and due to wide-reaching reforms in civil litigation procedure and cases such as Milton Keynes NHS Trust v Halsey, this is fast becoming a mainstream method of resolving disputes supported by many judges in civil and employment cases.
Examples of types of disputes that the mediation team at Bevans have mediated successfully are: employment, sexual discrimination, racial discrimination, construction disputes, intellectual property, finance & banking, partnership disputes involving solicitors, professional negligence, solicitors’ and surveyors’ negligence, head-hunter disputes, pensions, general commercial disputes, insurance disputes including personal injury claims and broker claims.
We are closely associated with one of the two main national UK commercial mediation service providers, ADR Group, where Alex Bevan is Technical Director and a founder shareholder.