International Mediation Updates
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January 2012 |
- Swiss mediators succeeded in working out a deal between Russia and Georgia on monitoring mutual trade, permitting Russia to join the World Trade Organization after 18 years. Reuters (November 3, 2011)
- Mediation is expanding in the Ukraine with the opening of a mediation center in Kyiv by the International Chamber of Commerce; Ukranian courts are widely viewed as corrupt and Ukranian arbitration cannot be used in disputes involving a foreign party or real estate located outside the country. Kyiv Post (November 17, 2011)
- The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation established the first-of-its-kind Business Mediation Centre at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Pakistan to improve the investment climate. The Nation (December 21, 2011)
- South Korean opposition to ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement has focused on the investor-state disputes (ISD) clause, which permits third party mediation, while proponents note that the ISD settlement system is a global standard which is included in over 2,500 international agreements. The Korea Herald (November 1, 2011)
- Mediation efforts by the government of South Korea were successful in getting cable television operators to resume high definition TV retransmission pending further negotiations in a dispute over retransmission fees. The Korea Herald (December 5, 2011)
- Taiwan is considering amendments to regulations on consumer debt to permit mediation of debt relief between banks and consumers with the assistance of community mediation committees. The China Post (November 29, 2011)
- Legislation to enhance the confidentiality of mediation was introduced in Hong Kong on November 30, based on a 2010 recommendation of the Working Group on Mediation and consultation with stakeholders. Lexology (December 13, 2011); 7th Space Interactive (November 18, 2011)
- Victoria, Australia’s Farm Debt Mediation Act 2011 went into effect on December 1, and permits either a farmer or A creditor to initiate mediation relating to enforcement actions involving farm mortgages. Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner (December 2011).
- In Queensland, Australia, the Queensland Farm Finance Strategy, a public agreement between rural groups and nine banks, requires mediation relating to farm loan defaults. The Rural Financial Counseling Service of Queensland predicts an ongoing increase in debt mediation talks by Queensland graziers in 2012. Queensland Country Life (December 5, 2011); ABC.net.au (December 6, 2011)
- The Consumer Council of Fiji resolved $2 million worth of complaints through mediation in 2011, with the largest number of complaints involving landlord/tenant issues and faulty electronic products. Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (November 24, 2011)
- The Mediation Board of Trinidad and Tobago presented Mediation Week in November to help further a culture of mediating all types of conflicts. Breaking News Trinidad and Tobago (November 3, 2011)
- Lagos, Nigeria intended to clear a backlog of 300 cases across a range of subject matters during settlement week in December, using mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. 234Next.com (November 16, 2011)
- The National Debt Mediation Association in South Africa, a nonprofit organization established by the credit industry, has addressed 1900 valid complaints against credit providers since it was established 19 months ago. Fin 24 (November 8, 2011); NDMA Website
Biography
Keith L. Seat is a full-time mediator and arbitrator who can effectively assist parties in resolving a wide range of telecommunications, antitrust and other commercial disputes. With over twenty years of legal experience as a mediator, arbitrator, litigator, advocate before executive branch agencies, and key staffer in the legislative and judicial branches, Mr. Seat brings a wealth of experience to his work as a mediator and arbitrator to help parties reach successful resolutions of complex disputes.
Mr. Seat began his legal career in a federal clerkship with U.S. District Judge William H. Becker, and then litigated antitrust and commercial disputes for many years at a major Washington law firm, Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White, where he first worked on telecom and technology issues. In 1993, Mr. Seat was named General Counsel of the Antitrust, Business Rights and Competition Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, where he served for four years, playing a significant role in the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Returning to the private sector in 1997, Mr. Seat rounded out his experience with a senior in-house counsel position at MCI, one of the nation’s largest telecommunications firms. At MCI, he gained a first-hand appreciation for the important perspective brought to issues and disputes by in-house decision-makers. Mr. Seat also deepened his knowledge of telecom issues and gained experience addressing competition-related issues in the corporate setting, as well as helping resolve disputes among large organizations.
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