Follow us


Our series of ADR guides is designed to provide clients with essential practical guidance on various processes falling under the banner of 'alternative dispute resolution' (ADR).

ADR practical guides series

GUIDE LINKS SUMMARY
COMMON ADR PROCESSES - AN OVERVIEW This guide provides a snapshot of the most commonly used ADR processes, highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages of each.
AN INTRODUCTION TO MEDIATION - WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS This guide provides a high level introduction to mediation, by far the most commonly used ADR process. It is intended to assist in-house counsel, claims handlers and business representatives who are required to participate in a mediation.
WHEN TO MEDIATE IN A DISPUTE This guide sets out a series of factors and questions to consider in identifying suitable opportunities to mediate in the lifecycle of a dispute, recognising that, in general, the earlier a mediation takes place, the earlier the opportunity reach consensual resolution and control costs.
SELECTING YOUR MEDIATOR AND DRAFTING THE MEDIATION AGREEMENT This guide identifies key factors to bear in mind when selecting a mediator and drafting or negotiating the mediation agreement that will govern how the mediation is conducted.
PREPARING FOR MEDIATION This guide highlights issues that parties preparing for mediation should turn their minds to before the day, to maximise the effectiveness of the process.
USE OF MEDIATION WITH ARBITRATION This guide provides a brief description of how mediation and other ADR processes can be used with arbitration and some key points to consider at the stage of drafting dispute resolution clauses and during the arbitration process.
MEDIATING WORKPLACE AND EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES This guide outlines how mediation can be used to resolve employment and workplace disputes and offers a number of practical tips for getting the best result. It also examines specific mediation and conciliation schemes offered by the Employment Tribunal and by Acas.
RESOLVING DISPUTES WITH HMRC This guide provides a brief description of how and when ADR can be used to seek to
resolve disputes with the UK tax regulator, HMRC.

 

RESEARCH STUDY AND GUIDE: ENHANCE THE WAY YOUR ORGANISATION USES ADR

The Inside Track

Despite the now mainstream role ADR plays in the commercial dispute resolution landscape, there remains little in the way of publicly available information to enable organisations to benchmark themselves against their peers as to how ADR can be used most effectively in managing commercial disputes.  

One of the few key resources and commonly-cited references in this regard is our major client research study The inside track – how blue-chips are using ADR.

The qualitative study (conducted by the legacy Herbert Smith firm in 2007) gathered the experiences of in-house counsel at multinational organisations across a broad range of industry sectors including those who had achieved remarkable efficiencies by embedding ADR use into their organisation's culture. 

Improving Conflict Management

Drawing on the unique learning we also prepared an ADR toolkit as a guide for in-house counsel who wish to review and enhance the way their organisations use ADR.

Ten years on, what we hear from organisations trying to improve their experience of dispute management (including in our further research and in discussions at the landmark Global Pound Conference (GPC) series) confirms that the lessons and tools we identified in 2007 remain squarely relevant today.

We therefore took the opportunity at the conclusion of the GPC series in 2017 to update and re-issue our guide: Improving Conflict Management: Enhance the way your organisation uses ADR.

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how you can use the guide to enhance your organisation's approach to managing its disputes.

VIEW MORE ON ADR HERE >

Key contacts

Alexander Oddy photo

Alexander Oddy

Partner, London

Alexander Oddy
Eduardo Soler-Tappa photo

Eduardo Soler-Tappa

Managing Partner, Madrid

Eduardo Soler-Tappa
Andrew Cannon photo

Andrew Cannon

Partner, Co-Head, Public International Law Practice, Deputy Head, Global Arbitration Practice, London

Andrew Cannon
Elizabeth Macknay photo

Elizabeth Macknay

Managing Partner, Perth Office, Perth

Elizabeth Macknay
Craig Shepherd photo

Craig Shepherd

Partner, London

Craig Shepherd

Stay in the know

We’ll send you the latest insights and briefings tailored to your needs