ADR Group in international move

The ADR Group is to launch a mediation network involving the foreign offices of its top City member firms to develop cross-border on-line mediation.The international network will be launched at top ten firm CMS Cameron McKenna - one of the group's 80 members - at the end of this month.

A live video-conference link between London, Warsaw and Hong Kong is intended to show the strength of ADR's international connections at the launch.Other group members include Lovells and Nabarro Nathanson; the Group says it covers 198 offices in 101 cities throughout 50 countries worldwide.ADR Group founder and chairman Richard Schiffer, based at the London office of Israeli firm Zellermayer Telossof & Schiffer, said the initiative will take place in two stages.First, the firms and foreign offices involved will be exposed to a training and awareness campaign to raise the profile of mediation.

The next stage will see the development of cross-border on-line mediation.Camerons litigation partner Anthony Fincham said:'I don't think anyone's done anything like this before; everyone is looking to get the global advantage.'

Jeremy Fleming