Top ranked mediator with over twenty years experience on a broad range of commercial cases, including multi-party, high-value and international disputes
CEDR Accredited in 1996, has been acting as a commercial mediator on a regular basis since then and as an independent mediator since 1998.
Cases mediated include disputes in areas such as professional negligence, insurance and reinsurance, partnership and company board, commercial contract, pensions, IT, franchise, logistics and fraud including multi-party and international.
Involved in the development of ADR in USA and UK since the mid 1980’s and one of CEDR’s original directors.
Listed as a “Leading Individual” in Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and the Legal 500 since 1997/8. Listed in the international directory, Who’s Who Legal: Mediation, since 2011.
A lead member on a DFID-funded project to develop a pilot tribunal and conciliation system in Samara, Russia. Advisor to Jersey judicial authorities on incorporating mediation into the Jersey legal system. Involved in a UK government funded project to introduce mediation into Turkish law.
Approach to mediation is primarily facilitative rather than evaluative but will resort to
rigorous reality testing where feels it is appropriate and necessary. Believes that building and maintaining momentum in a mediation is important but that time invested in building rapport with the parties, particularly the lead negotiators, is still crucial.
Charles features in the top bands of both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. The current editions of the directories state:
Charles Dodson was CEDR-accredited in 1996 and is experienced in mediating a broad range of commercial cases, including multi-party, high-value, international disputes. He is highly rated in the market for his mediation of professional negligence claims involving solicitors, surveyors, valuers, financial advisers and insurance brokers. Other areas of strength include construction, insurance and partnership, and Dodson has also mediated disputes surrounding probate, pensions, insolvency, franchising, inheritance, engineering, distribution and agency agreements, software design and business sales.
Charles Dodson of Independent Mediators is commended by clients for being “very energetic, likeable and good with difficult situations.” He offers outstanding mediation experience and has acted in a broad range of cases, including those involving professional indemnity, insurance and corporate takeovers.
Listed as one of the World’s top mediators in this International Directory, Charles Dodson is a highly regarded mediator praised for his “analytical approach”. He is “very practical and able to deal with issues from both a legal and commercial perspective”. He has been listed in this directory since the first edition in 2011.
Comments relating to performance as a mediator include:
“relaxed yet professional style created the atmosphere for a settlement in a volatile dispute”
“very thorough in seeing the whole process through to a conclusion”
“focused rightly on the commercial aspect of the settlement”
“had good ideas .. good rapport .. got the parties to think creatively and reality tested well”
“on the ball”, “authoritative and forceful”, “very firm when necessary”, “lots of character and determination”
Parties have also commented on “energy and commitment” and “ability to close the deal”.
Between 1981 and 1998 a partner in the leading London based international law firm,
Lovell White Durrant, now Hogan Lovells. Resident partner of the New York office between
1985 and 1988, and a full-time Managing Partner of the firm between 1991 and 1995.
Acted as a lawyer on a broad range of commercial cases including professional indemnity,
corporate takeovers, insurance and reinsurance, tort and contract, and international
asset tracing.
These cases included:
Talks and Training Charles has given include:
Closely involved in training mediators and lawyers as a member of CEDR’s training faculty from 1996 to 2012. Also involved in Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Core Solutions training programmes. He regularly conducts training sessions for in-house for law firms, insurance companies and others to enable them to represent their clients more effectively in mediation.
Author of many articles on ADR and speaker at conferences, including:
Educated at Wellington College and Pembroke College, Oxford (MA Jurisprudence)
INSEAD Advanced Management Programme 1991
Please click on the link at the top of the page to download Charles’ CV. This provides an overview of his background but is obviously not exhaustive. If there is something you can’t find or an area in which you would like more detailed information please call on the number above or email imoffice@independentmediators.co.uk.
A brief overview of areas of practice: