On Thursday, November 23, a conference hosted by the British Embassy in Vienna and organized by Miryan Weichselbaum-Gharibo of Let’s Agree (Austria) and Elizabeth Birch of 3VB (UK) discussed best practices in Alternative Dispute Resolution.   Styled “How to agree when you disagree”, the program gave an outstanding overview of a potentially very attractive alternative to costly, protracted and energy-draining lawsuits and commercial arbitration.   Mediation is an increasingly popular method of dispute resolution as – under the guidance of qualified and experienced counsel in the field of mediation – it saves the resources (costs, time and nerves) of the parties, and allows the parties to focus on what they do best: conducting their business and enhancing their profits.  The panels were comprised of general counsel and leading experts in the field of mediation, including KNOETZL Counsel Natascha Tunkel.  In the opening session, Natascha together with her co-panelists showcased selected phases of a mediation based on a pharma dispute for the benefit of a good and enthusiastic audience. The demonstration showed how a win/win solution to the benefit of all sides can be reached through mediation, while avoiding the downsides of other disputes forums, scorched relationships and the too-often, post resolution, destructive — and sometimes nonsensical — chest-thumping of one party proclaiming that “we won!”

For more information on matters related to Mediation, please contact Natascha Tunkel or your customary KNOETZL relationship lawyer.