Daphne Thomas, Solicitor (non-practising), Former Employment Judge, – Advocacy Management, Hertfordshire
I am a former employment lawyer of 30 years, & employment judge…a complicated dispute…breach of contract between a company…following a house fire, insurance claim …I was fascinated …you magically led the parties to an agreement in 5 hours, the dispute had been going on for 3 years…parties were extremely difficult, highly emotive … with immense patience & a light touch of humour at exactly the right moments, you diluted the hostile atmosphere & kept the parties focused…I saw you display a myriad of exemplary mediation skills …you tried various different options, which you knew how & when to use based on your extensive mediation experience, until one worked. It was a pleasure to watch a true expert mediate, and I must say I learnt a great deal. As a former employment judge, I was impressed by what you achieved. It went beyond what a court might hope to achieve. This mediation was a master class…it gave me something to aspire to.