Charitable Objectives

To promote for the public benefit the provision of services directed toward mediation in conflict management; and
To advance for the public health, the education of the public in the purposes and methods of such mediation.

Key Aims

To deliver the Free Mediation Project;
To provide public education in the use of mediation and access to mediators;
To increase awareness and provide skills to the legal professionals of the future;
To benchmark professionalism amongst mediation practitioners.

Jonathan Dingle

FRSA MCIArb FSoM

Jonathan is a Barrister, Mediator, Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator.

He is joint Head of Chambers at Normanton Chambers, prior to which he founded 218 Strand Chambers, Clerksroom and the London School of Mediation. Jonathan is widely described as being ‘instrumental’ in the development of mediation both in the UK and Worldwide and has remained involved in the profession since 1996.

Working globally to develop mediation as a leading alternative to conflict and litigation, Jonathan is regularly consulted by governments and judiciary around the world regarding the introduction and development of mediation in those jurisdictions.

He has completed over 1000 mediations and has acted as counsel on many more. Jonathan enjoys enviable feedback including the award of Mediation Achiever of the Year in 2009 and 2016. He has also co-authored three editions of the Mediation Handbook.

His passion for teaching has gained him a deserved reputation for inspiring and motivating students of the profession in many countries, regardless of their backgrounds.

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Claire Kean

Claire is a fully accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator, a Trustee of the Society of Mediators and Founder and CEO of United Mediation.

Her history of working both in the Television and Sports Sector, and Construction and Property Industry, allow her to specialise in these areas. However, her previous experience in family mediation has given her many years of experience in the field. She also has a special interest in medical negligence and wills and probate.

She is currently proud to be working for The British Red Cross as one of their in house mediators and is also in the process of training to become a Magistrate.

Away from work, her passion is sport. At the weekends you will find her playing regional netball! She’s a qualified umpire and coach and is chair of the Middlesex County Netball League where she is also the Disciplinary Secretary dealing with all disputes and disciplinary matters that may arise.

Alex Fletcher

Alex is a barrister, mediator and non-practising solicitor and a founder member of Normanton Chambers.

Before practising law, Alex was a Company Director in several small enterprises in Hampshire and Devon. He has a wide and varied employment history ranging from baking to training to be a Nurse for 3 years at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. His career in nursing paid for his legal studies and this, together with his past eclectic employment (prior to finding life at the Bar) enables him to bring an unusually broad range of experience to the benefit of his clients as a barrister and as a mediator.

Alex has been involved in mediation for many years and actively promoted it as a solicitor. He is a member of the Devon Mediation Service which provides free mediation for community disputes and has been a Trustee with the Society of Mediators since 2018. He mediates housing, contract, clinical negligence and commercial disputes.

Keith Ealey

DHypPsych(UK) MHA MSoM

Keith is a Hypnotherapist and Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator.

He began his working life as a design and development engineer working on military electronics projects before progressing into radio and TV broadcasting systems. Keith has worked around the world re-training personnel and transforming out-of-date analogue into new digital systems.

In 2001, after 25 years of running his freelance business, Keith decided to retrain and turn his interest in psychology into a career. He now helps people overcome fears and phobias at his practice based in Covent Garden.

Keith is passionate about getting people round the table to re-connect and therefore when he heard about mediation it felt like a natural fit. He qualified as a Civil & Commercial and Workplace Mediator in 2013 and became a trustee of SoM in 2017.

He is also a keen on a variety of outdoor sports including competitive target rifle and pistol shooting. He has gained coaching qualifications in this sport and enjoys moving experienced shooters onto peak performance as well as taking raw beginners through to competent and safe levels.

Ian Strathcarron

B.Ph MSoM

Ian Strathcarron is a publisher and author: he is Chairman of Unicorn Publishing Group and has written several biography, art and history books as well as novels and ’self-help’ books.

Unicorn specialise in the publishing books in the visual arts and cultural history sector and as an art book publisher Ian has extensive knowledge of the art and publishing worlds. He is an active member of the Professional Advisors to the International Art Market.

He was a founder and director of Art Resolve, a niche mediation service dealing with all aspect of conflict relating to the art world, publishing and copyright.

He is Vice-Chair and a Trustee of the Society of Mediators, as well as a panel member of NFS, a dedicated pro bono community mediation provider and has ten years experience of mediation.

David Ingle

MSoM

David works as a business consultant, mentor and Expert Witness (Equestrian); is an Accredited Mediator and a Trustee of The Society of Mediators (Head of Membership). David has held many interim COO and CEO positions and more recently, as Interim COO at the BEF, he played a key part in installing a necessary governance model to secure the next quad of Olympic funding. Now working as, expert witness and mediator, David comes from a strong sporting background. A 35+ year involvement with the equestrian world David is a former Point-to-Point and Amateur Rider, Trainer. A breeder and producer of foals and yearlings for sales and pre-training. A long and successful relationship with the competition world, with the production of young animals became a particular skill. A Judge of some repute; on most Judging Panels in the UK; in demand to judge extensively both internationally and domestically. An increasing demand for seminar speaking and mentoring and developing a particular niche with challenging behaviours and the impacts of Social Media.

Currently the appointed Director of Showing at Hickstead, to include both the Al Shiraa Hickstead Derby Meeting and The Longines Royal International Horse Show. David still enjoys his equestrian life.

Jane Hodge

LLB MSoM

Jane is a Solicitor, Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator and the Treasurer of Gosport Borough Football Club.

She has 25 years experience in a variety of areas of law and specialises in all aspects of family law, with particular expertise in high net worth divorce cases and cases involving business issues and immigration issues.

Additionally, following her passion for sport and particularly football, she regularly advises on regulatory issues for sports clubs and associations and represents both players and clubs in disciplinary hearings.

Jane is a lifelong Pompey fan and regularly goes to matches around the UK, as well as those for Gosport Borough. Living within the South Downs national park, she loves the country life and spends her spare time walking, cycling, gardening, making cakes and cooking for friends and family.

Following gaining her accreditation as a mediator, Jane quickly began to use her skills with both her legal practice and in her role within football. She recently joined SoM as a trustee and is keen to assist with the Free Mediation Project in her area.

Ruby Sandhu

LLB MSc MSoM

Ruby is a Solicitor, Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator , Charity Worker and Ethics Specialist.

Until Mid-2013 Ruby was a Partner at an International Law Firm specialising in International Law and Public Policy. She left to run her own consultancy advising on Business and Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability Law.

Having undertaken training as a mediator she quickly saw the synergy between this form of ADR and her other areas of work. Ruby was involved in the Law Society research into Business Human Rights for the Legal Profession and initiated the Business Ethics Working Group in her role as Vice Chair of the Solicitor’s International Human Rights Group.

Ruby is an ethical vegan and spends much of her free time on charity work in Eritrea and on animal rights related issues.

She is an integral part of the Free Mediation Project, a trustee of SoM and a director of RS Collaboration.

Zoey White

JP BSc GILEx MSoM

Zoey is a Pupil Barrister at Normanton Chambers and a Civil and Commercial Mediator.

Having originally trained as a mediator with Clerksroom in 2006, Zoey has over ten years experience of mediation and has trained mediators across the UK as well as South Africa, Spain and the Cayman Island for the past six years.

She was the First Honorary Secretary of the Society of Mediators and has played a key role in its charitable work and the development of the Free Mediation Project since its inception.

Outside of mediation, Zoey was called to the Bar in 2018 after well over a decade working with the Legal Expenses industry on all types of contentious work. Zoey specialises in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence particularly those relating to children, non-recent abuse and the military. She also has a keen interest in Family and Children matters due to her judicial work in this area.

Zoey is a Barrister of the Middle Temple, a Family Justice, an Internationally Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator and a Graduate Member of the Institute of Legal Executives.

John Sephton

MCIPD CMgr FCMI MSoM

John is a Mediator, Coach and HR Management Consultant, as well as an Expert Witness. Prior to this he was an officer in the Royal Navy for 25 years.

He has a wealth of experience in mediating workplace disputes in addition to a wide variety of civil and commercial matters.

Outside of his mediation practice John is highly adept at developing individuals, teams and organisations and helping them to achieve their full potential. Always people focused, he has considerable experience in such areas as Organisational Development, Strategic Workforce Planning, Leadership and Management Training and Risk Management.

John endeavours to devote some of his time to pro bono mediation work with both the charity group, Dorset Mediation, and the Free Mediation Project.

John is an accredited Mediator with the Bar Council of England & Wales, sits on the Academic Board of the Society of Mediators, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development as well as the Chartered Management Institute.