A conference which could influence the future direction of dispute resolution and mediation around the world is being held in Sydney on Monday 29 May at the office of leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.
Stakeholders in dispute resolution, including commercial parties, chambers of commerce, lawyers, CSR professionals, academics, judges, arbitrators, mediators, policy makers and government officials, will gather for the special meeting which forms part of the Global Pound Conference (GPC) series.
Launched in Singapore on 17 March 2016, with the final event scheduled to be held in London on 6 July 2017, when concluded the series will have played host to more than 5,000 people, in 40 cities, across 31 countries worldwide.
Titled ‘Shaping the Future of Dispute Resolution & Improving Access to Justice’, the series encompasses all forms of dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration, conciliation and mediation.
The conferences are held under the auspices of the International Mediation Institute (IMI), a not-for-profit organisation that drives transparency and high competency standards in mediation practice, across all fields, worldwide.
Attendees will consider how disputants in civil and commercial conflicts can select and access appropriate dispute resolution processes that will respond to their needs and be proportionate in terms of costs, time, possible outcomes and enforceability.
Using smart phones and tablets, participants will answer and discuss 20 core questions which will create a pool of data drawn from all 40 conferences in the series.
According to Elizabeth Macknay, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and member of the Sydney GPC organising committee, “The data gathered across countries and regions around the world through the GPC series will create the opportunity to identify trends and cultural preferences in dispute resolution in a way that has not been possible in any other studies.
“We are hearing from all key stakeholders in dispute resolution and providing them an unprecedented opportunity to drive the changes they want to see; helping find better ways to manage and resolve conflicts as quickly and cost effectively as possible.
“The data gathered at the GPC series will enable leading dispute resolution organisations and representative bodies around the world to actively engage with regulators and legislators to drive key changes in dispute resolution and mediation laws and processes.”
Speakers and panellists at the Sydney conference will include leading authorities in dispute resolution and mediation, including: Justin Gleeson SC, former Solicitor General of Australia; Sue Laver, General Counsel Dispute Resolution, HR, Risk and Compliance, Telstra; and Tom Day, Vice President, Legal, BHP Billiton, among many others.
The GPC series is sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills, the Singapore Mediation Centre, JAMS (formerly known as Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services), Shell, AkzoNobel, The Beijing Arbitration Commission and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
Tickets are still available for the Sydney conference, for more information or to participate, please visit the GPC website.