Corporate Case Study

Berkeley Square Mediation – Jane Cooksey

The parties were both company directors, in widely separated parts of the UK. One didn’t want to travel, and one didn’t want to mediate by telephone. The situation was uncertain when the mediator attended the CMC’s annual conference and saw Kidatu’s demonstration of their Accord service.

As a result, the mediator proffered the idea of using Accord conference calling to the parties, both subsequently agreed and Kidatu signed the Agreement to Mediate in order to concur with its blanket confidentiality clause.

Following just two hours of online training from Kidatu, the mediator decided to run the conference call herself, logging into their secure conferencing platform via a laptop and by telephone.

One of the parties took part from their home on a fixed telephone, the other on a mobile phone, and the mediator operating from her office. The mediator simultaneously called out to both of the parties from the platform and talked to them together to hold the opening session and most of the mediation.

At various times during the discussions, each party wanted to share confidential points with the mediator. To achieve this, the mediator used two methods depending on the circumstances, one was to move one of the parties into a separate virtual meeting room, the other was to place one party ‘on hold’ thereby rendering them unable to hear.

After three hours, the mediation reached a successful conclusion, leaving just the final drafting of the agreement which we understand was dealt with by email.

Lawyer, Psychologist and Mediator Jane Cooksey of Berkeley Square Mediation said: “The platform is very easy to use and very effective, I was able to guide the group discussion, and have private chats within the three hours allocated without losing focus. We went from uncertainty to collaboration in a very short space of time and with no need to travel. I would advise parties to use landlines as we did suffer some interference from the mobile phone, however this was quickly solved by re-dialling. All in all, a great tool which I intend to use whenever appropriate”

To read about Jane, please see her website at www.berkeleysquaremediation.com or www.janecooksey.co.uk.

Jane can be contacted by email at  janecooksey@sky.com or 0773 098 2140.