Executive summary

In this paper Elizabeth Birch shares her experience of international mediation. She considers some of the theories on cultural behavioural patterns as applicable to international commercial mediation and considers some of the practical aspects of dealing with these to reach a successful outcome. In particular, she advocates a flexible approach to the process in such mediations and the finding of a third way which weaves between the needs and desires of parties coming from very different cultural backgrounds, to find a process that all parties can accept. Previously ...