Mediate, or else...

On business leadership, dispute resolution and the King III report

Please note that a fee will be charged for this event. The proceeds will go to USB Alumni's Future Fund. Book early as the number of available seats is limited. Please bring proof of your booking.

Recent events in global financial markets, and concerns over the impact of human activity on the world environment, have made it imperative to re-examine the way that we do business and build sustainable long-term businesses, rather than just looking to maximise profit in the shortest period of time.

Against this backdrop it is important to note that unattended disputes and litigation do not promote sustainable business. Disputes can, and often do, have serious consequences for a business, including:

• Reputational damage
• Snow-balling legal expenses
• Serious financial losses as a result of misplaced optimism
• Loss of profitable relationships

In settling disputes, mediation – as an alternative to litigation – leads the way.

Come and listen to John Brand, one of SA's most experienced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) experts, as he discusses mediation and the principles of dispute resolution as set out in the King III report.

Prof Barney Jordaan, director of the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement at the USB, will introduce the topic, while Daniel Malan, head of the USB's Unit for Corporate Governance in Africa, will offer concluding remarks.

More about Brand, Jordaan and Malan

John Brand is a member of the advisory board of the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. He is co-chairperson of the African Mediation Association, and also serves as a member on the International Mediation Institute's Independent Standards Commission. He specialises in dispute resolution and the training of negotiators, mediators and arbitrators, and is an accredited mediator at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR UK). He has written extensively in journals and other publications, and recently co-authored the second edition of Labour Dispute Resolution published by Juta.

Prof Barney Jordaan, previously professor of law at Stellenbosch University, is a senior arbitrator and mediator, having been involved in dispute resolution since 1987. He now practises as a full-time specialist in employment relations and dispute settlement (labour and commercial), including negotiation, mediation and conflict management. He is extraordinary professor at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and visiting lecturer at the Graduate School of Business of UCT, where he teaches on the MBA and executive education programmes. He has published widely and is the author and co-author of a number of leading academic and popular works.

Daniel Malan is a senior lecturer in Business Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Environment at the USB. His experience includes, among other things, advising private companies on sustainability reporting and ethical policies.