Celebrating one year since Jane Player joined Independent Mediators. The members of Independent Mediators were delighted when Jane accepted their invitation to join the team with effect from April 2021. Her first year with IM has been fantastic.
Jane focuses on general corporate and contractual claims, fraud and project disputes, IP claims and media disputes. She has particular experience of international dispute resolution and has a leading reputation for managing cross-cultural aspects of joint venture and international shareholder disputes.
The range of work undertaken by Jane this year has increased and diversified whilst still showing a strong recognition for her IT/IP skills and knowledge. Jane has had several significant appointments, using her mediation skills to resolve issues in sectors and practice areas including IP, general commercial, construction, property, IT, finance, aviation, public sector, media, education, local government, care home and shareholder disputes.
Jane’s appointments have included working with a firm over a number of sessions, not only on the resolution of issues but also a review of strategy. Using mediators in this role is often called “in life” mediation and is something which Jane champions. The use of mediation techniques earlier in the business relationship, with mediators working with parties to help them maintain their commitment to the venture as opposed to focusing on rights and obligations once things go wrong, has proved very successful. This approach supports businesses in their desire to form long-term strategic relationships.
Almost without exception the matters which Jane has mediated over the last year have been of high value or highly complex. Her settlement rate has been exceptional and praise widespread. The value of claims mediated by Jane since joining IM is over £150m.
As a full-time mediator Jane actively promotes mediation and is regularly asked to speak on the subject in several jurisdictions. Jane ensures she stays up to date with the latest mediation techniques and methodologies and is actively engaged within the mediation community.
Professional Background
Jane joined King & Spalding in April 2012 and was a partner in the firm’s London disputes group until 31 March 2017. Prior to that Jane was co-head of the International Dispute Resolution Group at Bird & Bird, which she joined in 2002. Before that, Jane spent 10 years with DLA Piper as head of their London disputes team and seven years with Turner Kenneth Brown, having qualified as a solicitor in 1987.
Jane was accredited by CEDR in 2001 but has been mediating as counsel since 1992. From 2001 Jane combined her busy mediation career with maintaining her demanding legal practice in international law firms. Jane became a full-time mediator on 1 April 2017, joining IM on 1 April 2021.
Some quotes from solicitors who have worked with Jane
“Please pass on our thanks to Jane for the highly professional (and personable) and hugely effective manner in which the mediation was conducted. This undoubtedly facilitated the settlement that was achieved.”
“She has an excellent rapport with solicitors, counsel and especially clients. This was a particularly fraught family company dispute but Jane managed to keep the parties focussed on the main issues and think positively about moving forward.”
“Jane handled the mediation extremely effectively – her approach was highly commercial and robust. In particular, she was excellent at challenging the parties’ positions where necessary to move things forward and was flexible in changing the set-up throughout the day to achieve a settlement.”
“Obviously a very good lawyer, excellent interpersonal skills, a really warm and likeable person – a great asset to the mediation community.”
“I was very impressed by Jane. She had a very quick grasp of all the key legal issues and was very familiar with all of the points so as to ensure that all parties could make as good a use of the time available as possible.”
“Her ability to identify common ground and to debate and challenge ideas was excellent and she was key in achieving the settlement.”
More information on Jane including her CV can be found by clicking here.