OXFORD MEDIATION - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of Sport Resolutions' Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators

Christine is a full-time professional mediator. She mediates commercial and sport disputes, as well as employment and workplace disputes. She also has experience mediating property and landlord and tenant disputes. She has been accredited with the ADR Group as a civil and commercial mediator since 2009 and has trained with the London School of Mediation as a workplace and employment mediator, and also with the Centre for Peaceful Solutions as a Dialogue Road Map Mediator and Facilitator. Christine is a CMC Registered Mediator. With a legal and commercial background, Christine is able quickly to master the detail of complex cases and the issues involved in a dispute while also bringing pragmatism and commercial acumen to the mediation. She also possesses the analytical skills and understanding to challenge robustly if required. She is passionate about the benefits mediation can bring to the parties and works with HR teams to help resolve disputes within the workplace and also within sports organisations. Professional experience Having qualified as a solicitor in 1985, Christine has many years' experience resolving commercial and employment disputes and of working as a lawyer for clients in the sport sector. She has been a judicial officer for the RFU, hearing anti-doping cases and appeals, and a non-executive director of the governing body of an Olympic sport. A partner in a national firm from 2015 to 2019, she was previously a partner in a City firm she co-founded in 1992. She is a governor of an independent day and boarding school and the trustee of a charitable foundation. Christine's professional experience includes:

Job Titles:

• Member of the Steering Committee

Felicity is a full-time professional in dispute resolution and has worked as an independent mediator since 1989. She is accredited with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution and a member of the CEDR Solve panel of mediators. Felicity is a member of the CEDR appointed panel of mediators in The Court of Appeal in the UK. Felicity is also an ILM Qualified Workplace Mediator, she is registered with the Civil Mediation Council and she is certified by the International Mediation Institute. She attended an ACAS senior conciliator training course in 1991. Felicity is an active member of Oxford Mediation, of which she was a founder member. She mediates commercial disputes, as well as employment and workplace disputes. She also has experience of boundary, landlord and tenant, property and neighbourhood disputes. She has conducted mediations in a wide range of organisations in the public and private sector, including in Oxford University and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Job Titles:

• Editor of "Clinical Negligence
• Solicitor Qualified in 1977 / Mediator since 2004

Paul has been described in legal directories as "like a dog with a bone" when given a difficult case. "He's incredibly clever and hard- working and he gets results," "He is particularly commended for his strategic thinking". He "knows what's what," say commentators. He is famed for his "extremely professional" demeanour "and his "sensible approach to cases". Described as ‘a good all-rounder'. He has been rated as "one of the most highly rated practitioners in the country". Sources describe Paul Balen as "extremely knowledgeable, proactive, technically impressive and friendly." Balen has an extensive background in various medical negligence claims, including group actions. He is also recognised for his activity in mediation. (Chambers 2019) Paul is the Editor of "Clinical Negligence" now published by Lexis Nexis, the third edition of which was published at the end of 2018. He personally contributes the chapters on inquests and on the use of ADR.

Ruth is a committed and qualified mediator, passionate about helping parties to reach a settlement to their disputes, put the matter behind them and move on with their lives and/or their businesses. She has successfully mediated disputes in a wide range of commercial areas since 2001. Even where parties cannot settle their differences through mediation, Ruth strives to ensure that their experience of examining their position from a different ‘angle' with the help of a neutral mediator and in a confidential setting is positive and helpful. Her experience is that even unsuccessful mediations have represented ‘turning points' for parties in dispute, in that they frequently feel more able to communicate directly with each other following a mediation, and either settle their dispute soon after or substantially narrow the points in dispute. Although not a lawyer, Ruth has more than 30 years of experience of participating in ‘formal' dispute resolution as an expert witness in courts and arbitrations. She has also been a party in two mediations - on both occasions, the help of a mediator led to solutions to what had initially seemed to be irreconcilable differences. Her experience has convinced her that mediation is a better way to settle differences than resorting to (or continuing with) court action. Professional Experience Ruth is a chartered geologist and chartered engineer by profession and holds an MBA. She has 38 years' experience as a consulting engineering geologist specialising in providing advice principally associated with the evaluation and sustainable exploitation of construction raw materials. Alongside her technical and commercial experience in consultancy, she has been a qualified and practising civil and commercial mediator for a wide range of disputes since 2001. Ruth is able to understand and communicate technical details of projects to the public and non-technical professionals and is also skilled in communicating community concerns and suggestions to technical specialists. Parties have found these skills, alongside her broad business experience, particularly helpful in mediation, especially when the factual background to a dispute is complicated and/or technical.

Shaun has vast experience in Commercial Mediation,first qualifying as a community mediator with Plater College Oxford, 2001. Shaun has qualified with the ADR Chambers and is an accredited online mediator with the ADR Group. The 2011 edition of the Chambers & Partners Directory says of Shaun Jardine "Jardine takes his place in this year's table having earned praise for his ability to "provide commercial advice in an impartial manner." His mediation practice is predominantly focused on property-related disputes, mirroring his practice as a solicitor. He also regularly handles construction disputes Shaun has been appointed as a mediator in numerous disputes including:-

Job Titles:

• Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council

Sue is a full-time, successful mediator with particular expertise in: property disputes professional liability probate and inheritance disputes contract disputes Professional Experience Sue is an experienced and effective full time mediator. She was accredited by ADR in 2008. She has extensive experience of commercial, property and professional liability disputes. She has 30 years background as a solicitor, spending her career in the City and Paris and subsequently as Head of Dispute Resolution at a major regional firm. Sue now concentrates solely on her mediation work and no longer practises as a solicitor.