International Mediation Developments
|
July 2012 |
- The Irish Dental Association has launched the Dental Complaints Resolution Service in Ireland to provide free mediation when patients have complaints about their dental treatment. Irish Times.com (May 9, 2012)
- Following a successful pilot in selected areas of the U.K., HM Revenue & Customs is expanding an alternative dispute resolution program to individuals and small and medium enterprises throughout the country to resolve disputes over VAT and direct taxes during compliance checks. 4rfv.co.uk (May 29, 2012)
- The U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office offers mediation to parties in intellectual property disputes and is seeking comments and input from stakeholders about why use of the service is low and what changes would be helpful. The Information Daily (June 13, 2012)
- Spain has adopted a Royal Decree in Law 5/2012 on mediation in civil and commercial matters which may include cross-border conflicts, but excludes criminal matters as well as labor and consumer disputes. Legal Knowledge Portal (May 2012)
- Ghana’s president of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs is seeking amendments to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism legislation to make ADR settlements enforceable, to address a problem that resulted in 30 percent of the cases resolved last year ending up back in court. Spy Ghana (June 6, 2012)
- The Judicial Service of Ghana announced that Alternative Dispute Resolution week is July 16-20, during which ADR will be a focus in 52 courts, and programs and activities will create greater public awareness of ADR. Ghana Web (June 19, 2012)
- Angola’s president has promulgated the Law on Property Mediation. All Africa.com (April 27, 2012)
- The United Arab Emirate’s Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that it will offer mediation services to assist members in resolving commercial disputes and
maintaining business relationships. The Gulf Today (June 11, 2012) - The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution participated in the Third World Islamic Banking Conference Asia Summit in Singapore, urging greater use of mediation and arbitration in the $1 trillion Islamic finance industry. Gulf Daily News (June 11, 2012)
- The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution was named the tenth member of the Asian Mediation Association during the Association’s annual meeting in Indonesia. Bahrain News Agency (April 30, 2012)
- A mediation and arbitration center has been launched in Tripoli, Lebanon by the Tripoli Bar Association in cooperation with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation to assist in resolving commercial disputes. The Daily Star (May 11, 2012)
- Pakistan hosted the International Judicial Conference in April which proposed boosting mediation in the country by making it mandatory in civil proceedings, through cost sanctions in litigation, and by establishing centers for mediation training, among other steps. Mediation World (May 1, 2012); 2012 Declarations of the International Judicial Conference
- A study of the four mediation centers of Delhi, India, from 2005 to 2012 reports that over 60 percent of the disputes were resolved; the first mediation center opened in the city in 2005. Two Circles.net (June 15, 2012)
- Alternative dispute resolution legislation has been introduced in Bhutan based on ADR’s increasing importance in Bhutanese society and to help attract foreign investment. BBS.bt (June 13, 2012)
- Hong Kong has opened the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre to provide mediation for customers with claims against banks or brokers; the Centre expects to handle 2,000 cases a year with claims up to $64,000. Channel News Asia.com (June 19, 2012)
- A dispute resolution mechanism between China-based Taiwanese and Chinese businesses is being discussed for inclusion in a cross-Taiwan Strait investment protection agreement. Taipei Times (May 28, 2012)
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.
Comments
| Free subscription to comments on this article | Add Brief Comment |