Chris’s Relevant Expertise
- A registered legal practitioner since 1981.
- An Accredited Mediator since 2000 and accredited under the new national accreditation standard since 2009
- A full member of LEADR - Association of Dispute Resolvers
- An Accredited Mediator since 2000 and now fully accredited under the new national accreditation standard.
- An Arbitrator since 2000.
- The holder of three tertiary degrees including a Master of Laws.
My Credo
My market credo is that as a highly skilled expert in what I do I should show faith in my skills by only accepting a fee if I obtain an outcome that the client is pleased with. This is what I call “pay on results”. The sort of result that will entitle me to my fee will be accurately and precisely defined in my client service agreement.
Isn't this what "the customer" wants in all other segments of the marketplace? Do people want to pay for a poor meal? Do they want to pay for defective plumbing services? Do they want to pay for expensive business consulting if it fails to improve their bottom line? Do they want to pay for an expensive plasma TV screen if it fails to deliver a better picture?
The answer is of course "No". In each case they expect only to pay for a product or a service if that product or service delivers the expected result. But if the product or service does produce the expected and hoped for result or outcome that same client or customer is quite prepared to pay a very good price for it – even above an average "market price".
The Better Way
The better way is setting up a process to analyse, manage and resolve the dispute that has these essential ingredients -
- A genuine willingness and intention of the parties in dispute to opt out of the combat zone and mindset that is referred to as "litigation" and embrace an alternative approach to dispute resolution that focuses entirely on the parties themselves, with expert assistance, determining what the true issues in the dispute and how they resolve those issues to their mutual satisfaction;
- The right environment, culture and system within which to assist the parties to manage and resolve their own dispute on their own terms;
- The right level of knowledge and expertise being applied to facilitate the parties managing and resolving their own disputes.
My success rate
My success rate to date with applying the "better way" to dispute management and resolution has been excellent- about a 90- 95% success rate. This means that in just 5 - 10% of the cases I take on, that meet my carefully designed criteria and satisfy my pre-conditions, my efforts are in vain and payment of my fee becomes discretionary. Some clients do elect to pay me even though the defined “successful outcome” was not achieved, as they appreciate the amount of skill and effort I devoted to helping them achieve finality to their dispute. But whether payment, or part payment is made is entirely discretionary.
How to secure
my services
Simply telephone me or email me. My contact details are all located on the website. I would love to be of service to you.
JUST CLICK HERE to go straight to the Contact page.
I only get paid on agreed results
I am a passionate believer in working for clients on a "results only" basis – which means that I will only allow myself to get paid by a client or by parties that bring a dispute to me seeking assistance to resolve it if I can, by applying my skills, produce a successful outcome for the client or the parties where the definition of a 'successful outcome' is expressly agreed to by myself and my client.
Why work on a results only basis?
It makes perfect sense and satisfies a legitimate consumer expectation. It is a just and fair model of service delivery based on outcomes delivered rather than time spent irrespective of outcome achieved.
Even if the client can well afford the price charged, there is still a negative sentiment expressed when the consumer (client) finds it hard to measure the value received from the service being paid for. Their preference is always to get a clear result first, with the value plain to see, and then, usually without complaint, to pay a premium price for the service to reward the value provider for a job well done. This is the market place working in optimal fashion – as it should. A fair price for the value delivered.
So this website presents to the public a range of dispute resolution services offered by a highly skilled professional, trained in various methods of dispute analysis and dispute resolution strategies who is taking a clear an unambiguous stand on this issue.
Provided the client or the parties that seek to retain my services agree to abide with my terms for providing my services on this basis then they will secure my services on that basis.
Self-determination and empowerment
Integral to the service model that I bring to the market place is the concept of self-determination and empowerment.
I want to empower people as much as possible to resolve their own disputes using a format, methods and strategies that, with appropriate expert assistance (including from their own lawyer if they have one) will allow them to maintain control and ownership of their dispute from beginning to end and eliminate the risk of becoming embroiled in time demanding, expensive and stressful litigation.
UNDERSTAND THIS – In the majority of disputes that proceed down the litigation track to a final court hearing there are no Winners - just Losers and masses of discontent. This is why people love to hate lawyers and the legal system even if they can claim to have “won” in court. In most cases the personal and financial price they had to pay to be the “winner” left them with little joy and satisfaction at the end of it all.
I want to bring a DIFFERENT MODEL OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION to the forefront of peoples minds and be part of an active EDUCATION CAMPAIGN to show and convince as many people as we can that THERE IS A BETTER WAY. That better way embraces the early use of “ADR” strategies to avoid an escalation of the dispute and to promote early, quick, durable and cost effective resolution.
My tools of trade
My tools of trade to expertly assist people in dispute to manage and resolve their dispute as quickly and cost effectively as possible and with the minimum amount of stress, bother and disruption of their personal lives are these -
- My research and study into different personality profiles that equips me to better handle and manage different personality types in the context of dispute management and dispute resolution methods;
- My personal communication skills;
- My Mediation skills gained as a Mediator since first accredited in 2000;
- My 29 years of legal practice including 16 years as a Barrister working principally in the courts and tribunals of New South Wales, Australia;
- My deep understanding of the formal “litigation” system and
alternative dispute resolution methodologies;
- The Agreements I put into place between the parties and myself prior to accepting a dispute resolution retainer.
