Our April Member Meeting is “Expert attendance at mediations – the Mediator’s view”.
Taking place online it will examine the role that Experts can play in a mediation and how they can assist both their own party as well as the Mediator.
The talk will be given by Rosemary Jackson QC who is in full-time practice as a Mediator and Conciliator at Keating Chambers.
Rosemary Jackson QC
Rosemary Jackson QCRosemary Jackson has embraced virtual mediation since April 2020 with great effect. This follows a successful practice at the Construction Bar from 1983, when she joined Keating Chambers as the first female specialist building counsel at the English Bar, until October 2014. Up to January 2018, Rosemary also accepted appointments as an Adjudicator and Arbitrator. Rosemary was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2006.
Rosemary received the Clare Edwards Award for professional excellence and contribution to the legal profession serving the construction industry in 2018. The award, which is sponsored by TECSA and the Contractor’s Legal Group, is awarded when an exceptional candidate is identified. Rosemary has also been awarded ‘Mediation Expert of the Year in the United Kingdom’ in the 2021 Lawyer Network Annual Awards, and ‘Lawyer of the Year – Mediation’ in the 2021 Who’s Who Legal Awards.
Mediation and Conciliation
Rosemary has been an accredited mediator since 2001 and has built up a first class reputation as the ‘ideal facilitator’, a personable and user-friendly mediator of domestic and international commercial disputes of all types. She draws praise for her ‘gravitas’ and ‘shuttle diplomacy in difficult circumstances (Chambers & Partners 2017). She is featured as a Leading Silk for construction mediations by Legal 500, 2020 and listed in Band 1 (Mediation) by Chambers and Partners UK and UK Bar Guides 2020, having been ranked as a mediator since 2010. Rosemary is recognised in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for mediators. She is consistently listed as one of the world’s leading construction mediators in Who’s Who Legal: Construction, and as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Who’s Who Legal: Mediation 2020.
Her background in construction litigation, combined with good preparation, enables her to identify the issues incisively. This enables her to reality-test the parties’ cases and assist them in evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. Rosemary’s approach is adaptable, and she is able to deploy a blend of facilitation and evaluation to suit the particular mediation. Where invited (and if appropriate) she is willing to assist the parties by making evaluations, recommendations or post-mediation assessments.
Rosemary’s approach is highly commercial. She has mediated and co-mediated disputes up to £2bn and between up to 10 parties. Many complex or multi-party mediations benefit from Rosemary’s ability to case-manage the dispute and participate in a structured mediation process over a number of months.
Previous Experience
Whilst in practice at the Bar, Rosemary Jackson specialised in the field of construction, engineering, energy, professional negligence and commercial/contract law, including advice and advocacy in relation to litigation and arbitration, adjudication and mediation, and contract drafting. She appeared as an advocate in Courts at all levels and before a wide range of adjudicators and arbitrators, as well as in appeals or challenges against arbitration decisions. She represented local authorities, the Treasury Solicitor, contractors, sub-contractors, developers, property owners and purchasers, and professionals, including architects, engineers and surveyors. She gained considerable experience of advisory work and litigation arising out of party wall matters.
As well as successfully representing many clients in arbitrations and adjudications, Rosemary has acted as an arbitrator and adjudicator.
Rosemary was consistently ranked in Legal Experts, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for Construction Law for her practice as a barrister, as she is now for her practice as a Mediator.