Civil & commercial mediation · London & nationwide
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE
TO END THIS TODAY?
That is the only question a mediation has to answer. I am an accredited civil and commercial mediator working across technical, vehicle, transport, construction and consumer disputes — the cases where the sticking point is usually a question of fact that neither side can test alone. London and nationwide, and online anywhere in the world.
AMIMechE
online worldwide
without prejudice
THE PROCESS
WHAT MEDIATION IS — AND WHAT IT IS NOT
Mediation is a confidential, without-prejudice meeting in which an independent neutral helps two sides find their own way to a settlement. It is voluntary. It is usually done in a day. And it settles a great many disputes that both sides had privately written off as heading for a courtroom.
What I do
- Hold a confidential, without-prejudice process
- Hear each side out properly, in private and together
- Find the interests underneath the stated positions
- Test each side's thinking, privately and even-handedly
- Carry offers accurately, only with express permission
- Help you record a settlement in writing if you reach one
What I do not do
- Decide who is right or impose an outcome
- Give legal advice to either side
- Act as judge, arbitrator, adviser or advocate
- Share anything from a private session without permission
- Pressure anyone into a settlement they cannot live with
- Give an expert opinion on the merits of the dispute
Nothing is binding until it is written down and signed. Everything said during the day is confidential and without prejudice, subject to the mediation agreement and any legal exceptions. If the mediation does not settle, nothing said in it can be used against you afterwards.
COVERAGE
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Civil and commercial disputes generally, with a particular focus where technical detail decides the outcome. In person across the UK, and online internationally.
Vehicle & automotive
Rejection and satisfactory-quality disputes under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, repair-quality disagreements, valuation and total-loss disputes, diminution in value, credit hire, post-repair complaints.
Transport & logistics
Road transport, fleet and haulage disputes, damage in transit, service-level and contractual disagreements between operators and customers.
Construction & engineering
Defective and incomplete works, workmanship and specification disputes, delay and disruption, final account disagreements, domestic building disputes.
Consumer & supply
Sale of goods and services, fitness for purpose, inherent defects, warranty and guarantee disputes, disputes between businesses and their customers.
Property & real estate
Landlord and tenant, dilapidations, boundary and neighbour disputes, planning and environmental disagreements, service charge disputes.
Personal injury & insurance
Personal injury claims, liability and quantum disagreements, insurance coverage disputes, subrogated recovery, disputed causation.
Not on the list? Most civil and commercial disputes can be mediated. Ask.
TWO SIDES. ONE STRUCTURE THAT HOLDS THEM BOTH.
A mediation is an engineered process, not a conversation that happens to work.
THE DIFFERENCE
A MEDIATOR WHO CAN FOLLOW THE ENGINEERING
In technical disputes the deadlock is often not really about money. It is about a question of fact that neither side can test: whether the repair was done properly, whether the damage matches the account, why the component failed, whether the specification was ever achievable.
Most mediators have to take the experts' word for it. I do not. My background is a BSc in Motorsport Technology, postgraduate crash-structures research at Cranfield, and current daily practice in structured vehicle appraisal and evidential reporting — alongside legal training to Master's level.
That does not make me your expert. A mediator gives no opinion on the merits, and I will not. What it means is that when the technical argument arrives, I can ask both sides better questions, help each of them genuinely understand what the other is saying, and stop a dispute stalling on a point that is actually resolvable.
Positions are where parties are furthest apart. Underneath sit interests, and underneath those, needs — which frequently overlap. Most of the work of a mediation happens in that overlap.
Roger Newby is a CMC Associate Mediator, Civil Mediation Council. This status is held by Roger Newby personally.
WHAT HAPPENS
THE SHAPE OF A MEDIATION DAY
Before the day
Both sides sign the mediation agreement and exchange a short position statement and any key documents. I will speak to each side beforehand to answer questions about the process and understand what matters to you.
Opening session
Everyone together. I explain the process, confidentiality and my role. Each side then sets out, briefly and in their own words, what the dispute is about and what they hope to achieve.
Private sessions
I meet each side separately, more than once. These sessions are confidential — nothing leaves the room without your express permission, and I check the exact wording before I carry anything across.
Negotiation
Offers are formulated, tested and exchanged. I will reality-test proposals with the side making them — difficult questions asked privately and even-handedly — before anything is carried across.
Settlement or next steps
If you reach agreement, it is recorded in writing and signed — only then is it binding. If you do not, the issues will usually have narrowed, and nothing said during the day can be used later.
LONDON. NATIONWIDE. ONLINE, ANYWHERE.
In person across the UK by arrangement — online mediation without borders.
COST
FEES, FIXED AND AGREED IN ADVANCE
Fees are fixed, confirmed in writing before the mediation, and normally shared equally between the parties unless you agree otherwise. Proportionality matters — a fee that swallows the dispute helps nobody.
| SERVICE | INCLUDES | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Half-day mediation up to 4 hours |
Pre-reading, pre-mediation calls with each side, the mediation itself, and assistance recording any settlement. | On enquiry |
| Full-day mediation up to 8 hours |
As above, with the additional time most multi-issue or multi-party disputes need. | On enquiry |
| Online mediation half or full day |
Same process, conducted remotely with private breakout rooms. Available worldwide and often the proportionate option for lower-value or cross-border disputes. | On enquiry |
| Lower-value & small claims | Fixed fees scaled to the value of the dispute, so that mediation stays proportionate to what is actually in issue. | On enquiry |
Fixed in writing
The fee is agreed before the mediation is booked. No hourly-rate surprises.
Usually shared
Normally split equally between the parties, unless you agree a different arrangement.
Never outcome-related
The fee is the same whether or not you settle. That is what neutrality requires.
COMMON QUESTIONS
WHAT PEOPLE ASK FIRST
What is mediation, exactly?
A confidential, without-prejudice process in which an independent neutral helps the parties reach their own settlement. The mediator does not decide the case, impose an outcome, or give legal advice. Nothing is binding until it is recorded in writing and signed.
How long does it take?
Most civil and commercial disputes are mediated in a half day or a full day. Smaller or document-light matters can often be resolved in a half day, including online. Complex or multi-party matters may need longer — we will agree that before booking.
Is it really confidential?
Yes. The whole process is confidential and conducted on a without-prejudice basis, subject to the mediation agreement and any legal exceptions. Anything you tell me in a private session stays in that room unless you expressly authorise me to share it — and I will check the exact wording with you before I do.
Do I need a solicitor?
No. Parties may attend with or without legal representation. Where lawyers attend they often add real value, particularly in drafting the settlement agreement. Where they do not, the parties can record terms using a standard heads of agreement form.
What if we do not settle?
Nothing said in the mediation can be used against you afterwards. In practice many disputes that do not settle on the day settle shortly after, once the issues have been narrowed and each side has properly heard the other.
Why a mediator with an engineering background?
In technical disputes the sticking point is often a question of fact neither side can test — whether a repair was done properly, whether damage matches an account, why a component failed. A mediator who can follow the engineering can ask better questions of both sides and help each understand the other's position. I give no opinion on the merits; that is not the mediator's role.
Can you mediate remotely?
Yes. Online mediation works well, with private breakout rooms replacing separate physical rooms. For lower-value disputes, and for parties in different parts of the country or in different countries, it is often the proportionate choice. International instructions are accepted.
Where do mediations take place?
In person in London and, by arrangement, elsewhere in the country. Online mediations are conducted worldwide — parties in different countries or different time zones are no obstacle. Venue arrangements are agreed with both parties in advance.
Are you insured?
Yes — professional indemnity cover of £2,000,000. Certificate available on request. I am also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a data controller (ZC197605).
How do I complain?
Raise it with me first, in writing, and I will acknowledge within five working days and respond substantively within 28 days. The full complaints procedure is set out on the complaints page.
WHO YOU WOULD BE WORKING WITH
ROGER NEWBY
Roger Newby BSc (Hons) PGDip LLM AMIMechE
Hunt ADR Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator
CMC Associate Mediator
Status held by Roger Newby personally.
Roger Newby BSc (Hons) PGDip LLM AMIMechE — accredited civil and commercial mediator.
I came to mediation from engineering rather than from law firms. A BSc in Motorsport Technology, postgraduate crash-structures research at Cranfield University under EPSRC funding, and daily professional practice in structured vehicle appraisal and evidential reporting. Alongside that, legal training to Master's level at BPP.
I am an accredited civil and commercial mediator. I qualified through the Hunt ADR Accredited Mediator Skills Programme, a training course registered with the Civil Mediation Council — and was assessed against the full competency framework. I am a CMC ASSOCIATE MEDIATOR — Civil Mediation Council.
What I bring to a mediation is a calm, structured process and a genuine willingness to sit with the difficult part of a dispute rather than rush past it. Most cases do not deadlock on the numbers. They deadlock because someone does not feel heard, or because a technical point has become a proxy for something else. Both of those are workable.
GET IN TOUCH
ENQUIRE ABOUT A MEDIATION
Tell me briefly what the dispute is about and roughly what is at stake. I will come back to you with availability and a fixed fee. No obligation, and no charge for the initial conversation.
Location
Mediations in person in London, by arrangement elsewhere in the UK, and online worldwide.
Both parties welcome
An enquiry from one side is not a problem — I will contact the other side to see whether they are willing to mediate. That conversation is part of the job.