Gill Mansfield

Gill Mansfield is a full-time commercial mediator.  She has over 25 years’ experience of negotiating deals and successfully dealing with and resolving difficult commercial disputes and complex cross-border and international litigation in the UK, Europe, the USA and across Asia.

Her experience spans a number of different sectors and she mediates a wide range of business, commercial, financial and corporate disputes. She is recognised as a leading mediator in the UK by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.  Clients consistently praise her as ‘very effective”, “easy to work with”, “highly skilled”, “thorough’ and “well prepared” and as a mediator who “understands the commercial dynamics”.  She has a reputation for quickly building rapport with clients “putting the parties at ease from the start” and for creating “a rapport conducive to settlement”.  As one mediation client recently commented “Gill has an innate ability to understand what really matters to the parties at a mediation, and to forge a meeting of minds between them”.

Gill is a Fellow of Civil Mediation Council and a member of several international mediation panels including the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals in New York and the WIPO panel of IP neutrals in Geneva.

Gill is a barrister who spent much of her earlier legal career in General Counsel and Head of Legal roles in major international commercial organisations.  She has worked with technology companies, award winning media and entertainment companies, online retailers in the consumer goods sector, multi-national corporations and household name brands. As a result she has a degree of commerciality and boardroom experience that is rare in the mediation profession.

She is recognised as “a masterful negotiator and a brilliant lawyer” and as having “a rare talent for finding practical solutions to problems very quickly”. She is described as “pragmatic”, “collaborative” and “solution-oriented”. The combination of genuine commercial expertise and business acumen, a sharp legal mind and the ability to rapidly build rapport with people from all walks of life has enabled Gill to effectively mediate a wide range of commercial disputes.

Gill holds both UK and US mediation accreditations. She has successfully mediated cases on both sides of the Atlantic and is regularly appointed as a mediator in cross-border and international cases. She has experience of working with interpreters and is highly skilled in cross-cultural cases that require an understanding and awareness of cultural differences.  She also has experience of online dispute resolution that pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and has a very active online mediation practice in addition to her in-person practice.

Gill is a board advisor for a Manchester based digital agency in the “tech-for-good” and ESG / social impact reporting space that partners with charities, the third sector and CSR leaders to combat some of society’s biggest issues with innovative digital and technological solutions.  She is a non-executive director of PRS for Music, the performing rights society for music writers, composers and publishers.  She sits on the PRS for Music Board, its Members Council and Audit Committee, and she Chairs the PRS Distribution Committee, and the AI Sub-Committee looking at the impact and application of artificial intelligence.

She is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an elected member of the Committee and Vice Chair (and former Hon. Treasurer) of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Gill combines a pragmatic commercial approach with a pro-active and energetic style. She is thorough, always well prepared and encourages pre-mediation briefings with the parties to ensure the best use of the mediation day.  She is able to quickly get to grips with the facts, figures and legal arguments so that she can help the parties to focus on the key issues that they need to work through.

Clients comment on her ability to quickly put parties at their ease and to build rapport with people from all walks of life. Her straightforward, approachable and engaging manner belies a tenacious mediator who maintains a laser focus on helping clients reach the best outcomes.

Her ability to rapidly build respect and trust together with her many years of commercial and legal experience mean that she is able to effectively reality test and offer constructive challenge to parties (and their advisors) where required to move a mediation forward, or to break an impasse; helping parties to properly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their cases whilst maintaining their confidence.

She knows how to maintain momentum and pace during the mediation to keep everyone fully engaged in the process and she works hard to ensure that the parties get the right deal on the day.

Commercial Contracts

Company

Shareholder & Director’s

Boardroom Disputes

Competition Law

Construction & Engineering

Employment & Workplace

Media & Entertainment

Intellectual Property

IT, Technology & Telecoms

Privacy & Data Protection

Professional Negligence

Property

Wills & Probate

Landlord & Tenant

Neighbour Disputes

Sale of Goods & Services

1994:  Barrister (called to the Bar of Lincoln’s Inn)

1997:  LLM International, Commercial and European Law, Sheffield University

Courses: Intellectual Property, UK and EU Competition Law, EU Law, International Law, International Human Rights Law

2000:  Post-Graduate Certificate in Competition Law and Policy

2006:  CEDR Accredited Commercial Mediator

2015:  Approved Mediator, New York, USA

2018:  Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)

Dealing with High Emotion in Mediation (CEDR, London 2009)

Workshop for Mediators in Intellectual Property Disputes (World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Geneva 2011)

Advanced Mediation Techniques (CDR/JAMS Washington DC, USA 2012)

Workshop for Mediators in Art and Cultural Heritage Disputes (International Council of Museums (ICOM) / WIPO, Geneva 2012)

Comprehensive Course on International Arbitration (Columbia Law School, New York and CIArb New York Branch)

WIPO Advanced Workshop on Domain Name Dispute Resolution (WIPO, Geneva)

Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council

CMC Registered Civil and Commercial Mediator

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Elected Committee Member and Vice Chair of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution - Greater New York

Panel of Mediators, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), London

Panel of Mediators, London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation (LCAM), London

Presidential Panel of Mediators, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Panel of IP Neutrals, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Geneva

Domain Name Dispute Panel, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Geneva

Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), New York

"Gill demonstrates excellent emotional intelligence. She is calm, has good rapport with clients, and really listens, instilling confidence. Gill brings a great deal of authority to her mediation approach." Legal 500

"Gill Mansfield has a broad commercial mediation practice that spans diverse sectors, concerning issues in the UK and further afield. She has particular expertise in disputes relating to the intellectual property, media and entertainment, technology and retail sectors." Chambers & Partners

"Gill is very helpful and accommodating and she speaks her mind. She is commercially aware and able to advise on risks in a comprehensible way." Chambers & Partners

"She was very good and to the point. She was very effective in her methods." Chambers & Partners

"I'll continue working with Gill given her track record of settling cases within the mediation's timeframe." Chambers & Partners 

“Gill is an excellent mediator who demonstrates a mastery of her subject area, with great client service and superb commercial awareness.” Chambers & Partners

“Very good at managing disparate groups of people with different agendas.” Legal 500

“Gill has great energy and the skill to keep the momentum in mediations and the ability to focus on what is important.” Chambers & Partners

“Effective, personable, realistic, practical and firm where needed” Legal 500

“Gill Mansfield is good at understanding the issues and drawing the parties to a resolution” Chambers & Partners

“Praised for her attention to detail and the ability to get to the nub of the issue” Legal 500

“I was convinced before going into the mediation that the matter would not settle given that the parties had been fighting for several years. From the outset you demonstrated that you knew not only the facts and legal issues at play in detail, but somehow understood the true motivations driving the parties. I have been involved in hundreds of mediations and I am still trying to work out how you were able to bring about a resolution. Thank you for doing so.” Dispute Resolution Partner, London law Firm

“I wasn't expecting much from mediation, as both sides had already spent a fortune on legal bills and the expectation was that the matter was going to have to be settled extremely expensively in court. But Gill proved me wrong. She is calm, persuasive and determined, and she also has a really good understanding of how the TV industry works, which was very helpful in resolving the dispute. Finally! Without hesitation I would recommend Gill, and mediation”. Party to a mediation

“Gill provided a very thorough overview of how the day would hopefully run. She communicated with us well throughout the process on the day and we were able to reach an agreement. Thank you for your calming influence!” Party to a mediation

“Our positions were poles apart, however Gill achieved what I thought was impossible, and stayed to ensure a document was signed. Extremely good communicator: empathetic, and warm. Thank you so much, Gill.” Party to a mediation

“Gill is always on the ball when it comes to understanding the case, communicating with the client to understand their position and successful in achieving a settlement on the day of Mediation.” Commercial Litigation Solicitor / Head of Commercial Recoveries, Law firm

“Gill was a great mediator at our mediation, she got to grips with the facts of the case and so was well informed when it came to party discussions, which enabled us to get a result on the day, highly recommended.” Partner, Regional law firm

Gill is a mediator who “understands the commercial dynamics” In-House Lawyer, party to a mediation.

“Having never been in a mediation before, I was nervous, and unsure how it would go. Gill was clear, calm and concise in explaining our positions and our options. I genuinely thought the differences between our two parties were irreconcilable, but apparently not! Gill mediated an agreement, that both parties felt work for them, and we wish we'd instructed her sooner!” Party to a mediation

“Gill was fantastic at guiding us through the process and she used her skill and expertise to manage the session constructively and effectively. She structured the day which really helped to move things forward.” Party to a mediation

“Gill... achieved a settlement result when it seemed extremely unlikely at the start of the meeting.” Union Rep (representing a Party in a mediation)

“This was little short of a masterclass in how an effective mediation session should be conducted. Gill was very well prepared.  She arranged a pre-session Zoom conference so that we all knew what to expect.  Gill’s interpersonal skills ensured that my client was very much at ease… I would have no hesitation in highly recommending Gill as a very effective, professional and personable mediator.” Counsel in an online mediation.

“Clear communication about the process, effective management of the session the time. Good energy and positivity” Party to a mediation

“Very impressed with the mediator who had to deal with difficult and at times emotional parties. A positive outcome was achieved for both parties as a result of the mediation process.” Solicitor, National law firm

“It took great skill and experience to not only keep the mediation on track but to conclude with a successful outcome.” Solicitor, National law firm

“Gill was very professional and communicated well. The mediation via Zoom worked seamlessly and I would recommend this method for future mediations…” Party in an online mediation.

“This is the second time I have worked with Gill, and I found her to be very professional and easy to work with whilst maintaining her impartiality throughout the mediation. She was well prepared, thorough, built up a good rapport with the client and worked hard to ensure that the parties reached the right deal. I would strongly recommend her and would certainly use her services again.” Partner, London law firm

“Gill expertly handled the mediation and managed to facilitate a resolution that looked unlikely at the commencement of the day.” Partner, London law firm

“Very well prepared. Excellent communication.” Commercial Advisor representing a party at mediation

“We selected Gill from a short-list of highly skilled mediators and she was a delight to work with.  The mediation was quite technical as well as emotional for the parties involved.  Gill handled it beautifully, putting the parties at ease from the start.  She was professional and good-humoured, and it was easy to trust her and her skills.  She brought the parties to a fair conclusion by around 6 pm on the day. I would highly recommend Gill and would select her as a mediator again.” Partner, London law firm

“Gill got to the heart of the dispute and created a rapport between the parties that was conducive to settlement” Media & Entertainment Lawyer, London law firm

“A highly skilled, patient and engaging mediator”

“Gill has an innate ability to understand what really matters to the parties at a mediation, and to forge a meeting of minds between them. She is also able to bring to the mediation, given her legal experience, an insight into risk.” Senior Partner, London law firm

“We couldn’t be happier with how Gill conducted our recent mediation. She explained each stage of the process in detail, facilitated flexibility on the day and made the client feel reassured.” IP Solicitor, London law firm

“Very organised before the mediation. Explained the process well to the client.” Litigation lawyer, regional law firm

“I would just like to let you know how much I really appreciated all of the effort and energy you put into the mediation process… Thank you for your sensitivity, flexibility and maintaining the momentum of progress to an acceptable conclusion. If I hear or know of anyone else in a difficult situation and requiring mediation I will have absolutely no hesitation in pointing them in your direction.” Managing Director in the IT industry, party to the mediation

“Very impressed with Ms Mansfield.” Solicitor, Regional law firm

“We are really happy with Gill’s skills in leading the mediation and seeking avenues for commercial resolution”.

“I was in awe of how professional Gill remained throughout the week of discussions. Her genuine love of helping people work through problems was evident the whole way through.  She was brilliant.  Thank you.” Party to a week-long multi-party workplace mediation

“I really enjoyed seeing how you built common ground, and brought the parties together; very impressive.” Associate, London law firm

“Honestly, I cannot think of anything that you could have done better. It was a difficult issue to mediate, and I am grateful that you “hung-on” to enable my clients to reach decision.” Senior Partner, Regional law firm

“The mediator Gill Mansfield was extremely professional. She was always kind, neutral and calm… it was lovely talking to her. She helped us to clear a big emotional issue.  A big thank you for all of that!” Party in an online mediation

“She was excellent.” Partner in an accountancy firm, party to the mediation