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DIFC-LCIA Mediation Rules
adopted to take effect for mediations
commencing on or after 20 March 2011
Where any agreement provides formediation of existing or
future disputes under the rules of the DIFC-LCIA
Arbitration Centre, the parties shall be taken to have
agreed that the mediation shall be conducted in
accordance with the following rules (the Rules) or such
amended rules as the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre and
the LCIA may have adopted hereafter to take effect before
the commencement of the mediation. The Rules include
the Schedule of Mediation Fees and Expenses (the
Schedule) in effect at the commencement of themediation,
as separately amended fromtime to time by the DIFC-LCIA
Arbitration Centre and the LCIA Court.
Article 1 Commencing Mediation - Prior Existing Agreements to Mediate
1.1 Where there is a prior existing agreement tomediate
under the Rules (a Prior Agreement), any party or
parties wishing to commence amediation shall send
to the Registrar of the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre
(the DIFC-LCIA Registrar) a written request for
mediation (the Request for Mediation), which shall
briefly state the nature of the dispute and the value
of the claim, and should include, or be accompanied
by a copy of the Prior Agreement, the names,
addresses, telephone, facsimile, telex and e-mail
numbers (if known) of the parties to the mediation,
and of their legal representatives (if known) and of
themediator proposed (if any) by the party or parties
requesting mediation.
1.2 If the Request for Mediation is not made jointly by all
parties to the Prior Agreement, the party
commencing the mediation shall, at the same time,
send a copy of the Request for Mediation to the other
party or parties.
1.3 The Request for Mediation shall be accompanied by
the registration fee prescribed in the Schedule.
1.4 The LCIA Court shall appoint a mediator as soon as
practicable after receipt by the DIFC-LCIA Registrar
of the Request for Mediation, with due regard for any
nomination, ormethod or criteria of selection agreed
in writing by the parties, and subject always to Article
8 of the Rules.
1.5 Where there is a Prior Agreement, the date of
commencement of themediation shall be the date of
receipt by the DIFC-LCIA Registrar of the Request for
Mediation.
Article 2 Commencing Mediation - no Prior Agreement
2.1 Where there is no Prior Agreement, any party or
parties wishing to commence a mediation under
the Rules shall send to the DIFC-LCIA Registrar a
Request for Mediation, which shall briefly state the
nature of the dispute and the value of the claim,
and should include, or be accompanied by, the
names, addresses, telephone, facsimile, telex and
e-mail numbers (if known) of the parties to the
mediation, and of their legal representatives (if
known) and of the mediator proposed (if any) by the
party or parties requesting mediation.
2.2 The Request for Mediation shall be accompanied
by the registration fee prescribed in the Schedule.
2.3 If the Request for Mediation is not made jointly by
all parties to the dispute,
a) the party wishing to commence the mediation
shall, at the same time, send a copy of the
Request for Mediation to the other party or
parties; and
b) the other party or parties shall, within 14 days of
receiving the Request for Mediation, advise the
DIFC-LCIA Registrar in writing whether or not
they agree to the mediation of the dispute.
2.4 In the event that the other party or parties either
declines mediation, or fails to agree to mediation
within the 14 days referred to at Article 2.3b), there
shall be no mediation under the Rules and the
DIFC-LCIA Registrar shall so advise the parties, in
writing.
2.5 The LCIA Court shall appoint a mediator as soon as
practicable after agreement to mediate has been
reached between the parties, with due regard for
any nomination, or method or criteria of selection
agreed in writing by the parties, and subject always
to Article 8 of the Rules.
2.6 Where there is no Prior Agreement, the date of
commencement of the mediation shall be the date
that agreement to mediate is reached in
accordance with Article 2.3b).
Article 3 Appointment of Mediator
3.1 Before appointment by the LCIA Court, pursuant to
Article 1.4 or Article 2.5, the mediator shall furnish
the DIFC-LCIA Registrar with a written résumé of
his or her past and present professional positions;
and he or she shall sign a declaration to the effect
that there are no circumstances known to him or
her likely to give rise to any justified doubts as to
his or her impartiality or independence, other than
any circumstances disclosed by him or her in the
declaration. A copy of the mediator's résumé and
declaration shall be provided to the parties.
3.2 Where the mediator has made a disclosure,
pursuant to Article 3.1, or where a party
independently knows of circumstances likely to
give rise to justified doubts as to his or her
impartiality or independence, a party shall be at
liberty to object to his or her appointment; in which
case the LCIA Court shall appoint another
mediator.
Article 4 Statements by the Parties
4.1 The parties are free to agree how, and in what
form, they will inform the mediator of their
respective cases, provided that, unless they have
agreed otherwise, each party shall submit to the
mediator, no later than 7 days before the date
agreed between the mediator and the parties for
the first scheduled mediation session, a brief
written statement summarising his case; the
background to the dispute; and the issues to be
resolved.
4.2 Each written statement should be accompanied by
copies of any documents to which it refers.
4.3 Each party shall, at the same time, submit a copy
of his written statement and supporting
documents to the other party or parties.
Article 5 Conduct of the Mediation
5.1 The mediator may conduct the mediation in such
manner as he or she sees fit, having in mind at
all times the circumstances of the case and the
wishes of the parties.
5.2 The mediator may communicate with the parties
orally or in writing, together, or individually, and
may convene a meeting or meetings at a venue
to be determined by the mediator after
consultations with the parties.
5.3 Nothing which is communicated to the mediator
in private during the course of the mediation
shall be repeated to the other party or parties,
without the express consent of the party making
the communication.
5.4 Each party shall notify the other party and the
mediator of the number and identity of those
persons who will attend any meeting convened
by the mediator.
5.5 Each party shall identify a representative of that
party who is authorised to settle the dispute on
behalf of that party, and shall confirm that
authority in writing.
5.6 Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the
mediator will decide the language(s) in which
the mediation will be conducted.
Article 6 Conclusion of the Mediation
The mediation will be at an end when, either:
(a) a settlement agreement is signed by the parties;
or
(b) the parties advise the mediator that it is their
view that a settlement cannot be reached and
that it is their wish to terminate the mediation;
or
(c) the mediator advises the parties that, in his or
her judgement, the mediation process will not
resolve the issues in dispute; or
(d) the time limit for mediation provided in a Prior
Agreement has expired and the parties have not
agreed to extend that time limit.
Article 7 Settlement Agreement
7.1 If terms are agreed in settlement of the dispute,
the parties, with the assistance of the mediator if
the parties so request, shall draw up and sign a
settlement agreement, setting out such terms.
7.2 By signing the settlement agreement, the parties
agree to be bound by its terms.
Article 8 Costs
8.1 The costs of the mediation (the Costs) shall include
the fees and expenses of the mediator and the
administrative charges of the DIFC-LCIA
Arbitration Centre, as set out in the Schedule.
8.2 The Costs shall be borne equally by the parties (or
in such other proportions as they have agreed in
writing).
8.3 As soon as practicable after receipt of the Request
for Mediation, pursuant to Article 1 of the Rules, or
after the parties have agreed to mediate, pursuant
to Article 2 of the Rules, the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration
Centre will request the parties to file a deposit to
be held on account of the Costs (the Deposit). The
Deposit shall be paid by the parties in equal shares
(or in such other proportions as they have agreed) prior to the appointment of the mediator.
8.4 In the event that a party fails to pay its share of the Deposit, another party may make a substitute payment to allow the mediation to proceed.
8.5 At the conclusion of the mediation, the DIFC-LCIA
Arbitration Centre, in consultation with the
mediator, will fix the Costs of the mediation.
8.6 If the Deposit exceeds the Costs, the excess will
be reimbursed to the parties in the proportions in
which they paid the deposit. If the Costs exceed
the Deposit, the shortfall will be invoiced to the
parties for immediate payment in equal shares
(or in such other proportions as they have
agreed).
8.7 Any other costs incurred by the parties, whether in
regard to legal fees, experts' fees or expenses of
any other nature will not be part of the Costs for
the purposes of the Rules.
Article 9 Judicial or Arbitral Proceedings
Unless they have agreed otherwise, and notwithstanding
the mediation, the parties may initiate or continue any
arbitration or judicial proceedings in respect of the
dispute which is the subject of the mediation.
Article 10 Confidentiality and Privacy
10.1 All mediation sessions shall be private, and shall
be attended only by the mediator, the parties and
those individuals identified pursuant to Article 5.4.
10.2 The mediation process and all negotiations, and
statements and documents prepared for the
purposes of the mediation, shall be confidential
and covered by "without prejudice" or negotiation
privilege.
10.3 The mediation shall be confidential. Unless agreed
among the parties, or required by law, neither the
mediator nor the parties may disclose to any
person any information regarding the mediation or
any settlement terms, or the outcome of the
mediation.
10.4 All documents or other information produced for
or arising in relation to the mediation will be
privileged and will not be admissible in evidence or
otherwise discoverable in any litigation or
arbitration in connection with the dispute referred
to mediation, except for any documents or other
information which would in any event be
admissible or discoverable in any such litigation or
arbitration.
10.5 There shall be no formal record or transcript of the
mediation.
10.6 The parties shall not rely upon, or introduce as
evidence in any arbitral or judicial proceedings, any
admissions, proposals or views expressed by the
parties or by the mediator during the course of the
mediation.
Article 11 Exclusion of Liability
11.1 None of the LCIA, the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration
Centre, the LCIA Court (including its President,
Vice-Presidents and individual members), the
Registrar, any deputy Registrar, the DIFC-LCIA
Registrar and any mediator shall be liable to any
party howsoever for any act or omission in
connection with any mediation conducted by
reference to the Rules, save where the act or
omission is shown by that party to constitute
conscious and deliberate wrongdoing committed
by the body or person alleged to be liable to that
party.
11.2 None of the LCIA, the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration
Centre, the LCIA Court (including its President,
Vice-Presidents and individual members), the
Registrar, any deputy Registrar, the DIFC-LCIA
Registrar or the Mediator shall be under any legal
obligation to make any statement to any person
about any matter concerning the mediation, nor
shall any party seek to make any of these persons
a witness in any legal or other proceedings arising
out of the mediation.
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