The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (Cedr), Europe’s biggest provider of mediation services, has struck an international strategic alliance with its US equivalent, Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (Jams).
The alliance, first revealed on www.thelawyer.com (26 April), is an attempt to deal with the increase in alternative dispute resolution on both sides of the Atlantic. Cedr saw its caseload increase by 8 per cent in 2004, from 642 to 693 cases. It hopes the agreement will result in an increase in cases from the US.
Graham Massie, Cedr chief operating officer, said: “Med-iation is starting to catch on in the UK and Europe. It’s no longer the voice in the wilderness. We’d like to see more US business coming our way.”
