Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
There are many ways to resolve a dispute that can be done alongside court proceedings, or that can avoid them completely. We’ll help you to decide what approach is best for you, and then to implement it effectively.


Litigation is certainly one way to resolve disputes, but it sometimes consumes a lot of time and resources. Other methods can be better ways to bring matters to a satisfactory close, either in combination with litigation or instead of it. We have all the experience required to guide you – both in choosing an approach and ensuring that you use it to best effect.

In mediation and negotiation, our specialist legal skills are valuable, alongside our commercial and industry sector expertise and our focus on your priorities and objectives. But that’s not the whole picture. The way that you behave – including both conscious choices and instinctive non-verbal cues – can also have a huge effect on other people’s emotions and responses, and therefore on the outcome of the process. We explore this in our popular training course ‘Psychology of Mediation and Negotiation’, which provides a practical introduction to these concepts so that you can communicate most effectively.

Our expertise includes:

  • Guidance through and representation in the entire process of mediation
  • Conducting adjudication proceedings throughout the UK in construction-related disputes
  • Advice and representation in high-value arbitrations, both in the UK and overseas
  • Expert determination
  • Negotiation
  • Facilitation
  • Mini-trial
  • Early neutral evaluation
  • Training on the non-legal, and even non-verbal, behaviours that can encourage a positive outcome

Meet our key contacts

Iain Drummond

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes and Regulation


Contact by email

+44 (0)131 473 5767

+44 (0)779 560 0475

Connect on LinkedIn

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Lisa Ambrus

Senior Associate

Colin Archibald

Partner

Elaine Brailsford

Consultant

Nathaniel Buckingham

Partner

Gillian Carty

Partner and Chair

Iain Drummond

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes and Regulation

Carly Duckett

Associate

Leonore Dupont

Director

Alec Fair

Associate

Christopher Garden

Director

Gabriella Gilmour

Senior Solicitor

Kirsty Gray

Senior Solicitor

Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

Leigh Herd

Partner

Shona Lean

Solicitor

John MacKenzie

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes

Thomas McFarlane

Senior Associate

Laura McMillan

Director

Matt Phillip

Partner

Ben Pilbrow

Partner

Francis Reynolds

Senior Associate

Alexandra Roobottom

Associate

Hayley Russell

Senior Solicitor

Philip Sewell

Partner

Ben Sheppard

Senior Associate

Ross Simpson

Senior Solicitor

Sarah Walker

Director

Close


Related articles and insights: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

22 October 2025

An adjudicator’s decision in two separate but substantially similar adjudications are both held by the court to be enforceable

Contributor: Leigh Herd

The courts have provided clarity around challenging an adjudicator’s decision on the grounds of both natural justice and jurisdiction.

16 October 2025

Residential occupier exception prevents enforcement of adjudicator’s decision

Contributor: Iain Drummond

The Technology and Construction Court has provided clarity regarding the validity of pay less notices, the residential occupier exception in the Construction Act and the ability to overturn adjudicators’ decisions on fees.

25 September 2025

An adjudicator’s decision may be invalidated if a false statement was made during the appointment process

Contributors:
Iain Drummond, Kirsty Gray

A recent decision by the Technology and Construction Court has clarified the consequences when a false statement is made during the process of appointing an adjudicator.

15 September 2025

Court rules settlement agreement was variation to original JCT contract and not standalone contract

Contributors:
Iain Drummond, Alejandro Coghill

The High Court in England has confirmed that a settlement agreement was a variation to the original JCT contract, allowing the adjudication provisions to be applied.

29 August 2025

Court mandates compulsory mediation despite no contractual obligation to do so

Contributor: Leigh Herd

The High Court in England’s recent decision in DKH Retail Ltd v City Football Group Ltd [2024] EWHC 3221 (Ch) suggested a change of attitude towards mandating compulsory mediation during judicial proceedings. The decision highlights the court’s willingness to actively encourage alternative dispute resolution and provides useful guidance in respect of commercial litigation strategy.

8 July 2025

When less is still enough: TCC confirms validity of interim payment application

Contributor: Iain Drummond

In 1st Formations Limited v Lapp Industries Ltd, the Technology and Construction Court held that an interim payment application was valid despite the opposing arguments that the notice did not comply with Paragraph 2 of the Scheme for Construction Contracts 1998 as amended, it was ambiguous, and it also concerned incorrect dates and provisional sums. 

Contact us

Iain Drummond

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes and Regulation


Contact by email

+44 (0)131 473 5767

+44 (0)779 560 0475

Connect on LinkedIn

Download vCard