Mediation questions, answered by mediators

We put the same question to several experienced mediators, separately, and filmed the answers. No scripts, no house line, and they do not always agree. Every answer is here in full, with transcripts.

How do you prepare for mediation?
Not by reading more papers.

We asked five practitioners how they get ready for a mediation. Almost none of the answer was about the documents. Most of it was about the people, including themselves.

Answered by
Geoff Sharp
Jane Player
Erin Dyer Saxon
Paul Gilligan
Turlough O'Donnell SC
What does a lawyer do in a mediation?
Less than in court.

We asked four commercial mediators what a lawyer should do in a mediation. The answer that came back first was not more, or harder, or better prepared. It was less.

Answered by
Tim Hardy
Jane Player
Sabine Walsh
Turlough O'Donnell SC
What mediation skills matter most?
Listening.

We asked four mediators with decades of commercial practice between them which skills matter most, separately, at different times, in different countries. They all named the same one first.

Answered by
Geoff Sharp
Bill Wood KC
Sabine Walsh
Sue Prevezer KC