Stuart Chapman
Independent Mediator
One thing he did which was unusual was follow up after the mediation failed. It was Stuart who took up the ball and when he gauged that both parties were willing to continue dialogue, he, as it were, carried out an informal mediation over the telephone that ultimately succeeded. So that showed a commitment which went beyond the call of duty. He could have just washed his hands and said "I've prepared, I've done my bit, I've brought you close, it's all up to you". That impressed me.
Barrister, London
Hard working. Didn't over impose himself on the parties, but worked hard to bring the parties together when I think he could see that that work was potentially going to bear fruit. He didn't give up on it even though at times maybe a lesser person might have been tempted to do so.
Partner, International law firm
He challenged very frankly and openly the question of whether a mediation was actually likely to work, and he wouldn't allow us to reconvene unless he was satisfied that there was a potential for common ground being found. I thought that was very commercial. While the cost of going to trial was going to be multiples of what the mediation was going to cost, it still would have been a waste of people's time and effort to go through a mediation that could perhaps antagonise rather than assist.
Partner, Regional law firm
I thought there was a novel approach to settlement which took us to the final settlement figure. At the time it took us by surprise but it was a novel approach, I'm not sure it would work in all situations, but it showed the ability to think outside the box and bring a resolution which might not have happened otherwise.
Our experience of him was very, very positive - I felt he did more than we were expecting of him and he kept in touch with us. He really did work very hard to get both parties to settle. I think he went beyond what we would necessarily have expected from a mediator, and I would probably go as far to say that we may have not resolved it without his assistance.
Solicitor, International law firm
He has, obviously from his past life, a good understanding of what clients are actually looking for - what amounts to a successful or satisfactory outcome from a client's point of view. He's good in that sense at looking for a deal that might be acceptable. Actually having the perspective, the nous to realise what it is precisely that clients are looking for. I think that's really, really useful.
Barrister, Leeds
Excellent in a word - he got on extremely well with the client, he got straight to the point, there was no hanging around. He was there to achieve exactly what we wanted to achieve which was a settlement. He got to work very quickly, got the parties together, got the parties talking. He cut through the mist that always flies around in a mediation to get to the substantive issues and to work through those. I found him to be hands on but also commercial I guess in the way that he approached it, because at the end of the day you go to a mediation to try and get money out of one of the parties so he worked with that firmly in mind. I thought his service was excellent.
Associate, Regional law firm
I think without [his skills] we'd probably still have a hearing pending before the Court of Appeal.
I felt he was working toward a conclusion he really wanted to try to get to, I felt he was very earnest in that effort, it wasn't just settle for settlements sake, but I think he saw a genuine gap.
It was a mediation which I think Stuart conducted with a lot of energy on his part and commitment to the process and there were sticking blocks that Stuart worked hard to overcome. We got to a point where it needed a shove to the other side in order to do the deal and Stuart affected that shove.
The mediation actually went on for quite a while, I think it settled at about 3 o'clock in the morning. He was there and willing to stay on for as long as it takes.
Senior Associate, International law firm
The best bit of it was he followed it up afterwards. So he had a debrief with me afterwards and gave me a list of - right these are the actions I think you'd agreed on the day, with the next steps you need to then take, and then followed up with me a couple of times afterwards to say have you done it - because he knows me quite well. We have implemented it.
Head of Legal/Company Secretary, UK services plc
I was actually quite impressed. It went the way that most mediations go, and then at about 11, 12 at night I thought we were going our separate ways, but then Stuart came back in with a revised offer from the other side. Or certainly an indication that the other side weren't going to walk away and I can only put that down to his stewardship. He did the whole thing very well.
Partner, Forensic Accounting, UK accounting firm
He's obviously a competent lawyer so the day went pretty well according to plan I guess. I mean a settlement was reached within a reasonable time frame, you know about 5 o'clock ish in the afternoon and that was obviously in the main down to the mediator.
The key attribute that Stuart brought to the party was the fact that following the mediation hearing he retained an involvement and subsequently managed to broker a deal between the parties within a number of weeks of the mediation.
I thought he was very good actually. It wasn't an easy case - the parties were pretty entrenched. On the day of the mediation he did what he could to keep it going, and even afterwards he kept up the lines of contact and it was through him eventually we were able to negotiate a settlement. I was just impressed with his tenacity that he kept going. You know other people would have said, right that's it - it was a day's mediation, I'll have my fee and that's it, you couldn't agree, move on the best you can. But he kept in there and didn't charge extra, which I was impressed with as well. Litigation is expensive and he did spend quite a bit of time beyond the initial day. So yes overall I thought he was impressive. I'd definitely use him again.
I think he did a damn good job, I have to say, in trying to corral a group of in-house lawyers. Some of the debate that I saw going on was the first time probably in 10 years that I had seen as valuable a debate being progressed and I think that was excellent.
Head of Legal/Company Secretary, UK manufacturing plc
I actually found him quite refreshing as a mediator in terms of his approach, and I thought it was good that because he's not at least for the moment mediating day in, day out like some of them - he's got that space to deal with things.
He wasn't a mediator in the style of someone who just turns up, does the mediation and goes away. I think that there was quite a lot of interaction between the parties prior to the mediation, and also thereafter.
Partner, UK law firm
He was very patient, he stuck at it, didn't over impose himself on the proceedings but kept things moving along in the right direction.
Stuart got involved with some quite extensive discussion with the parties to even decide whether that mediation was appropriate and was likely to succeed and gave his view to the parties, which was helpful.
Very flexible in terms of the preparedness to progress matters by telephone prior to the mediation.