Core Growth in 2011
Core Solutions Group, Scotland’s leading mediator service has reported significant growth in 2011, its tenth anniversary year. The number of mediation days increased by just under 30% to nearly 100 in the year. Geographically, Core’s mediators and facilitators acted in 24 different locations throughout Scotland and elsewhere, with nearly one fifth of mediation business conducted in London and other parts of England and Ireland.
The training arm of the Group also reported growth in 2011, with substantial increase in the uptake of Core’s conflict management, mediation and negotiation courses. Work with UK Sport in the run-up to the Olympics, with the London and Welsh Assemblies and with many other public and private sector organisations emphasised the strength of Core’s in-house offerings.
The legal sector remained a strong user of mediation services. In recent years, Core has worked with over 150 different firms, many of them involved on several occasions, some over 40 times. The number of individual solicitors with experience of commercial mediation is now well in excess of 500 across Scotland.
Cases handled by Core in 2011 included major commercial disputes, transport and infrastructure, construction projects, professional services, intellectual property, agriculture, sport, planning, oil and gas and workplace and employment issues. Clients ranged from major corporates to SME’s and individuals. 39% of mediations involved public sector bodies such as health trusts and local authorities. Most matters resolved in one day.
Core’s chief executive, Dr John Sturrock QC, highlighted the progress of mediation at a time of economic difficulty for many sectors. “Mediation offers speedy and cost-effective ways to help bring problems and disputes to a conclusion at a time when most businesses and individuals simply cannot afford long-running unresolved conflict.” According to a recent EU report, the cost of mediation is less than one fifth of litigation costs and is four times faster.
“The words we hear most often are these: “Why did we not have this conversation two years ago?”" Sturrock pointed out that mediation is now used frequently at an early stage to nip conflict in the bud or to set up good business relationships from the outset, just as it can be used to bring to an end long-running litigation or unresolved impasse.
Research suggests that conflict costs UK business more than £30 billion a year, takes up over 20 per cent of leadership time and results in the loss of 370 million working days. Sturrock believes that much of this could be avoided. Recently, Core worked with a major Scottish company as it prepared its management and union representatives for wage negotiations. The result was a breakthrough in relations. As one key player noted: “Rather than fighting for what we each wanted, we found something completely new by working together.” Negotiations were completed in a few days rather than several months.
Sturrock, with over 250 mediations under his belt, is ranked by Legal 500 in the top 16 of mediators in the UK and is the only Scottish member of the International Academy of Mediators and the international Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation. His senior colleague, Pamela Lyall, who has conducted nearly 150 mediations, is also highly ranked and Core’s group of senior professional associates continues to work at the highest levels.