Welcome to R A Gerrard Ltd
An Accredited & Registered Mediator for your disputes
Welcome to R A Gerrard Ltd
An Accredited & Registered Mediator for your disputes
About Mediation
Why mediation?
Mediation works. It reduces the time, stress, cost and anxiety of formal dispute resolution such as arbitration or litigation. Importantly, you stay in control of your own dispute and you make decisions as to any settlement agreement.
Sometimes things do not quite go as planned and disputes arise. Most dispute processes appear to be geared towards advisers rather than the suffering parties. That is wrong. The issues in dispute are generally negotiable, which is important as disputes can be so harmful to people and organisations.
With mediation, we will work together to work on your respective needs and interests and try to reach an outcome that you can both live with and then you can move on with your lives. This is something you may not get with other forms of dispute resolution.
Mediation is well suited for just about any type of dispute. I am Registered with the Civil Mediation Council (UK) to do civil and commercial mediation and also workplace mediation.
What is mediation?
Mediation is a dispute resolution method where a neutral third party, the Mediator, assists parties resolve their dispute amicably. The Mediator helps disputing parties acquire a better understanding of each other’s needs and interests so they can negotiate a settlement agreement which accommodates those needs and interest to the greatest possible extent.
We will look for a way of settling the dispute that is acceptable to both parties and avoids you going to court. Your needs and interests will be focused on, rather than your positions that you have been struggling with for a while. Just be aware that the mediator does not make any decisions and it is the parties that are in full control of their own decisions. No one will force anyone to make a decision they do not wish to, it is a voluntary process.
How is the mediation conducted?
It depends and we can discuss whatever is best suited to the type of dispute that you have. Mediation used to be solely face to face but Covid-19 changed all of that out of necessity. I am committed to online mediation and my Green Pledge is stated later. I have found that Zoom, Microsoft Teams as well as WhatsApp or the like are perfectly good ways to conduct the mediation.
Why me?
I am an Accredited Mediator through the London School of Mediation and a Registered Mediator with the Civil Mediation Council. You can access me directly or through the following mediation panels I am on:
Association of Midlands Mediators (UK)
Construction Disputes Resolution Board (NZ)
Construction Industry Council (UK)
Hong Kong Mediation Centre (HK)
Institution of Civil Engineers (UK)
I have 41 years experience of preparing and managing contracts, mainly in construction, as a chartered quantity surveyor. I have also completed a Master of Laws (LLM) in Mediation and International Commercial Dispute Resolution in 2024 at Newcastle University (UK). All of this has been a great experience for understanding contracts, disputes and people.
What is the cost?
My fees for civil and commercial disputes up to £50,000 in the UK are in accordance with the last published Civil Mediation Council Fixed Fee Mediation Scheme.
Ask me about this and other fees.
5% of mediation fees received at my year end will go to charity. Please ask me about this too.
Green Pledge
I am a supporter of and signatory to the World Mediators Alliance on Climate Change (WoMACC) Green Pledge.
I am committed to minimising the environmental impact of each mediation in which I am involved in the ways outlined in the Pledge, including avoiding unnecessary travel and using electronic technology wherever possible.
I am also committed to encouraging those with whom I mediate similarly to minimise their carbon emissions.
The full pledge is also included in my draft Agreement to Mediate. I the participants to give consideration to the Pledge.
