CEDR's foxy alliance

City firm Fox Williams has joined forces with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) to promote mediation as an alternative to employment tribunals.

The firm last week launched an employment mediation think-tank with CEDR - which will meet on a monthly basis at Fox Williams' offices - attended by 40 people including clients, in-house lawyers, and others.

A role-play was conducted by CEDR director Terry Jones and CEDR Solve mediator Heather Allen, to show the mediation process.

Those attending were invited to look out for cases that might be suitable for Fox Williams and CEDR to conduct as part of a pilot scheme.

Maria Burroughs, a senior policy adviser on dispute resolution from the Department of Trade and Industry, told the meeting that it is unlikely that the government will set up a publicly funded employment mediation scheme, leaving it to be resolved by the private sector.

Fox Williams partner Anne Coles, one of the instigators of the think-tank, said: 'Mediation is quicker, simpler, cheaper and more private than the tribunals.

Many issues can be dealt with in mediation which cannot be incorporated into the legal procedure.

There is a big lack of awareness [of mediation] and demand would be much higher if it was better known as a process.

There is great client satisfaction among those who use it.'

She added that an employee dispute where the claimant demands 50,000 could cost about 2,000 to mediate, whereas the costs of an tribunal could exceed 50,000.

Jeremy Fleming