Gillian Caroe

Practice Areas

Mediation Experience by Sector

• Arts

• Employment & Workplace

• Partnership/Shareholder

• Aviation

• Education

• Professional Negligence

• Banking & Finance

• Energy &Natural Resources

• Property

• Charities

• Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

• Public Sector

• Clinical Negligence

• Information, Communication & Technology

• Sports

• Commercial Contracts

• Insurance

• Transportation

• Construction & Engineering

• Media & Entertainment

• Trusts, Wills & Probate

• Ecclesiastical

Experience by Dispute Area

• Agency Agreements

• Employment & Workplace

• Matrimonial Finance

• Boundary Disputes

• Franchising

• Partnership & Shareholder

• Clinical Negligence

• Insolvency

• Professional Negligence

• Commercial Contracts

• Land Ownership

• Rights of Way

• Costs

• Landlord & Tenant

• Sales of Goods & Services

• Distribution Agreements

• Trusts, Wills & Probate

Career

Gillian Caroe has been a practising mediator since 2004 (CEDR accredited 2005). Throughout her mediation career, she has been involved in hundreds of successful interventions. She has mediated disputes across a wide range of sectors, both public and private. Her above-average settlement rate is testimony to:

• her considerable professional expertise and inter-personal skills

• her personal dedication to clients as people

• her passion for helping parties to explore all avenues to enable resolution

Award-winning mediator

Commercial, Employment, Workplace, Probate, Clinical Negligence, Ecclesiastical

Senior Mediator, CEDR Panel of Lead Mediators

Lead Trainer, CEDR Faculty

Teaching Fellow in ADR, School of Law, SOAS

Gillian has been a practising mediator since 2004, with hundreds of successful interventions across both public and private sectors mediating conflict between two parties and as many as 40. Her strong settlement rate reflects her professional expertise, interpersonal skills, dedication to clients, and passion for helping parties find resolution.

I have a deep commitment to help parties shift from negativity and anger to resolution and progress.

My people-focused approach, even in complex commercial disputes, consistently leads to creative, practical outcomes.

Feedback on Gillian's style praises her natural ease and her superb communication skills. She has an inherently engaging style which allows her to tackle volatile and seemingly intractable issues in a way that makes people feel safe. She has particular expertise in disputes where the parties have a need or desire to restore relationships. Gillian is able to flex her style according to the needs of the situation and can move confidently and appropriately between a facilitative and a directive style.

Gillian’s commitment to supporting people and helping find a route to resolution starts from first contact. She builds relationships from pre-mediation contact onwards and that allows her to get to the heart of an issue quickly in the mediation itself. Parties come to mediation in order to try and get a deal done and Gillian’s sustained energy, her settlement-focused drive and her ability to challenge appropriately in service of exploring all possible solutions, all contribute to a highly successful practice.

As a facilitator, she has been recommended for her ability to facilitate meetings that address interpersonal difficulties where constructive on-going relationships are vital. Gillian is regularly invited to design and lead interventions for teams within organisations who are looking for dynamic facilitation on topics such as leadership, negotiation, communication, working collaboratively, effective decision-making and conflict resilience.

Gillian was invited to join CEDR’s panel of lead mediators in 2006 and, in addition to mediating all over the UK and beyond, she is also on CEDR’s Faculty as a Lead Trainer delivering the flagship MST training course as well as other bespoke conflict training in a number of countries across the globe. She has been instructed as a mediator by multiple leading law firms including DAC Beachcroft, Weightmans, Shakespeare Martineau and Eversheds Sutherland.

Before becoming a full-time mediator, Gillian had a successful international business career, holding UK, European, and global roles across various functions.

As a result, she developed a deep and broad understanding of business issues, interests and imperatives.

This broad business expertise and proven track record now inform and enrich her mediation practice.

Gillian is an award-winning mediator with over 20 years experience of helping over 500 parties find solutions to their disputes.

Before becoming a full-time mediator, Gillian had a successful career in international business with one of the world’s top companies. She worked in UK, European and Global roles across a range of business functions in a number of different countries. As well as establishing a successful track record in delivery, she also developed a deep and broad understanding of business issues, interests and imperatives. She brings this wealth of experience into her mediation practice.

Professional Memberships

CEDR Senior Mediator

Fellow of Civil Mediation Council

Publications

• 2019 Speaker at Clinical Risk Forum, Capsticks, Birmingham

• 2018 Panel member at CEDR Employment and Workplace Mediation event, Allen & Overy, London

• 2017 Speaker at Mediation in Public Healthcare Conference, QEII Conference Centre, London

• 2016 Workshop Lead for Employment and Workplace Mediation at the Civil Mediation Council Annual Conference, London

• She is a featured contributor to the book ‘The Spirit at Work Phenomenon’ (Azure 2004) and has been invited to speak about mediation on BBC Radio.

Personal

"I became a mediator because I had seen the cost of conflict to people and organisations - financial, professional and personal. I have a deep commitment to help parties find fresh ways to move from what is often a negative, hopeless or angry place, to a place of resolution, relief and forward momentum. I bring all of myself to create a safe space where I offer authentic interaction and non-judgemental, empathic listening. Building trust in this way enables me to have the tough conversations with parties at the appropriate time in order to get a deal done.

Even the most entrenched disputes have people at their heart. My skills in addressing clients as individuals, and helping them to clarify what they need to move forward, has time and again brought creative and practical resolution."

Outside of work, Gillian enjoys hiking, tennis and drinking wine in the country of origin.

Clients

“Helpful, professional but also friendly and hopeful… A very positive experience, skilfully facilitated” - Client Feedback

• “Patience, sensitivity, intuitiveness , kindness – and many other positive attributes too numerous to mention…” - Client Feedback

• “From my perspective, it was very fruitful. I would also like to say that I thought Gillian Caroe was truly excellent… I found her work to be superb.” - Client Feedback

• “Very skilled, very amenable, very wise.” - Client Feedback

• “The mediation far exceeded my expectations in terms of the outcomes.” - Client Feedback

• “I would not have felt comfortable in having a conversation like the one we had with [the other party] on my own. I was very impressed with Gillian’s professionalism and skills. In particular, her empathy helped me open up which was important for the process.” - Client Feedback

• “The whole thing vastly exceeded my expectations.” - Client Feedback

• “I’m very grateful for the day, how safe you made to feel and for the positive outcomes.” - Client Feedback

• “Patience, sensitivity, intuitiveness , kindness – and many of other positive attributes too numerous to mention. They made the day more bearable and ensured positive outputs. Gillian was very sensitive and gained a quick insight into the nature of our very challenging situation. She did not accept wishy washy statements at face value but probed deeper to get to the truth. She was not fobbed off by nebulous statements and prevarication.” - Client Feedback

• “Thank you for hosting the mediation. It was a long day and what was achieved I can live with and move on! It would not have happened without you and your tenacity so a big thank you .” - Client Feedback

• “Thanks Gillian. It was useful and will I'm sure ensure a more positive relationship from now on.” - Client Feedback

• “I also want to thank you for all your hard work and expertise surrounding this process.” - Client Feedback

• “Thanks for yesterday – I thought it was a really productive day and very useful.” - Client Feedback

• “Helpful, professional but also friendly and hopeful. Absolute independence, integrity, flexibility, kindness, compassion, understanding. She listened very carefully and was responsive to our needs. Gave me the opportunity to say what I had to say in a way that was both positive and cathartic. Also created an environment where we were able to be honest with each other and better able to empathise with each other’s situation. Enabled us to draw a line under past difficulties and move forward in a genuine way. I felt listened to – and heard. A very positive experience, skilfully facilitated.” - Client Feedback

• “Very calm and empathetic.”- Client Feedback

• “I just wanted to thank you for all your help this week! You did an absolutely brilliant job!” - Client Feedback

• “I do not have words to express to you my sincerest thanks for what you accomplished yesterday and your tireless and professional approach.” - Client Feedback

Languages Spoken

English

Italian

French

Education