Barrister & mediator
Since 1987, Mark has actively participated in the development of mediation practice in Australia. This experience was acknowledged by his appointment as a Director of the Mediator Standards Board, the peak body overseeing the National Mediator Accreditation System (now AMDRAS).
Mark’s background includes work:
- as a practising mediator, conducting in excess of 3000 mediations;
- as a mediation accreditation course presenter, trainer, coach and assessor for Leo Cussen Institute, Relationships Australia, Law Institute of Victoria, IAMA, Bond University and the Victoria Bar;
- as a consultant to Victoria Legal Aid in the development of the Round Table Dispute Management (RDM) program;
- as an accredited advanced mediator at the Victorian Bar; and
- as a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) who is active in the development and promotion of FDR by private FDRPs.
Mark is a barrister who combines legal practice with extensive mediation work. He is a panel mediator pursuant to both the Franchise Code and the Oil Industry Code, a panel mediator for the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (Vic), a farm debt mediator, and an active RDM conference chairperson, and has been a panel mediator at Relationships Australia for more than 24 years and a panel mediator at VCAT. He has been contracted as a mediator (Deputy Registrar) with the Family Court of Australia at the Melbourne and Dandenong registries.
His extensive and varied mediation work, together with his negotiation and legal practice experience, has given Mark a broad practical background in dispute resolution. In his mediation work, he has developed particular expertise:
- mediating disputes where emotions run high (contractual disputes; property and parenting agreements following the breakdown of family relationships; workplace disputes; probate/TFM disputes; family farming disputes; business and professional partnership disputes; and bank/client disputes);
- conducting mediation in the ‘shadow of court proceedings’ – i.e. with legal issues pleaded and Court processes underway; and
- dealing with confidential interpersonal mediations and with mediations between parties who have an interest in maintaining personal, family or work relationships while seeking a resolution to their dispute.
Gordon & Jackson Barristers’ Clerk: 03 9225 8121 (DX 94 Melb)
hebblewhite@vicbar.com.au
M: 0412 254 737
