Liz Rivers

Liz is one of the few senior mediators in the UK who specialises exclusively in workplace and employment disputes.  With a diverse background in law, executive coaching and psychotherapy, she brings a unique blend of skills to the mediation process.

Her psychotherapy and executive coaching expertise enable her to bring a high degree of sensitivity and empathy to her work, coupled with a deep understanding of organisational dynamics. She balances this with commercial pragmatism gained from over a decade’s experience as a commercial litigator in the City office of a global law firm.

She is valued by HR professionals who bring her in to handle sensitive team issues where the breakdown of key working relationships could be very damaging to the organisation.  They prize her ability to quickly and discreetly help key team members to get their working relationships back on track.

Liz qualified as mediator in 1992 – the first woman in the UK to become a CEDR Accredited Mediator, and has worked full time as a mediator since 1997.

Liz helps participants to hear each other properly so that they can understand the impact of their behaviour on each other. She does this in a safe and non-judgmental way that gets to the heart of the issue and enables participants to choose new behaviours that will support better teamwork.  

She also helps them to clear the air and put the past behind them.

Participants report that they no longer feel they have to “walk on eggshells” around each other and line managers and HR professionals benefit from a much better working atmosphere.

Workplace and organisational conflict:

Boardroom conflicts

Conflicts arising from different communication or management styles

Team conflicts arising from lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities or differing visions for the organisation

Rebuilding a relationship post disciplinary or grievance procedures

Breakdown in relationship

Allegations of bullying/underperformance

Employment:

All types of discrimination e.g. sex, race, disability, age, LGBT

Whistleblowing/protected disclosure

Unfair dismissal

Flexible working arrangements

Bullying and harassment

Partnership disputes

Sexual harassment

Contractual disputes

Partnership disputes

Conflict coaching: Liz works behind the scenes with either party to help them prepare for and engage in a mediation as effectively as possible

The most recent editions of the legal directories say the following about Liz:

Legal 500, 2026:

The first woman in the UK to become a CEDR-accredited mediator, Liz Rivers  at IPOS Mediation has a ‘very personal approach that puts people at ease. She is calm, fair, good at listening to both sides, and achieves the desired outcomes’. Also a qualified psychotherapist, Rivers specialises in mediating boardroom disputes and sensitive employment matters, as well as appointments involving sex discrimination and sexual harassment; and her track record includes given evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee on the use of mediation for sexual harassment at work cases.

Legal 500, 2025:

Specialising exclusively in workplace and employment disputes, Liz Rivers has notable expertise in cases involving sex discrimination and sexual harassment. Also a qualified psychotherapist, Rivers is regularly mandated by HR professionals to handle sensitive team issues, such as the breakdown of key working relationships.

Legal 500, 2024:

Liz Rivers is the first woman in the UK to become a CEDR-accredited mediator in 1992, is ‘able to build a real sense of trust from the outset. She has the ability to help business leaders see their common aims, helping to repair relationships‘. A qualified psychotherapist, Rivers is typically appointed by GCs or HR departments to resolve boardroom and senior team disputes.

Legal 500, 2023:

The first woman in the UK to become a CEDR-accredited mediator in 1992, Liz Rivers ‘‘capabilities in leadership coaching, team dynamics management and conflict resolution are remarkable‘. Rivers is a highly rated mediator for boardroom and senior team disputes, and has particular expertise in cases involving sex discrimination and sexual harassment. Rivers is also a qualified psychotherapist.

Legal 500, 2022:

The first woman in the UK to become a CEDR-accredited mediator in 1992, Liz Rivers is 'authentic, kind and displays integrity in her approach'. A leading mediator for boardroom and senior team disputes, Rivers is typically sought out by GCs and HR departments for the resolution of sensitive senior team conflicts, which threaten to derail the leadership of an organisation, department or team - 'her training as a psychotherapist puts her in a unique position to support employers and employees handling complex issues.'

Legal 500, 2021:

Liz Rivers is a highly regarded mediator for boardroom and senior team disputes, and is typically brought in by GCs or HR departments to resolve conflicts. Rivers' mediation highlights include a dispute involving the managing partner and finance director of a professional services firm; and a dispute between team members of a renewable energy organisation over working practices.

Legal 500, 2020:

Liz Rivers specialises exclusively in boardroom, workplace and employment disputes, with particular expertise in sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination disputes. Rivers recently successfully mediated a number of sexual harassment disputes for a range of organisations, including investment banking and manufacturing.

Liz Rivers is 'a very experienced and skilful mediator; she has training not just as a mediator, but also as a lawyer and a psychotherapist, and she brings to bear an unusually wide-ranging skill-set in her mediations. She is particularly adept at dealing with highly emotional cases and difficult or vulnerable individuals'. (2019)

Chambers and Partners, 2018:

Liz Rivers is an experienced mediator who is admired by one source for being "calm, efficient and non-judgemental" and for "putting both parties at ease." She specialises in mediating the full range of employment and workplace disputes, including discrimination, harassment and partnership claims. One commentator reports: "I believe what succeeded was her ability to come across to the two parties involved as impartial, calm and really wanting to help them while not favouring one opinion over the other."

A "Natural mediator"  One market source approvingly notes her "very empathetic, very thoughtful approach, which gives the participants room to let them work it through." (2017)

Who's Who Legal 2022:

Liz Rivers is highlighted as “thoughtful and insightful”, ranking as one of the go-to mediators in employment issues

Who's Who Legal 2019:

Recognised as a leading mediator.

1997 – present: Independent commercial mediator 1986-1996: Eversheds; Associate, commercial litigation

CEDR accredited CEDR faculty member Trainer and coach for Core Solutions Group, Scotland Member of the Association for Coaching Member of the Law Society Member of the Mary Parker Follett Group of International Women Mediators Member of the RSA Women’s Speaker Network Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

Liz is in demand as a “conflict coach”, which involves working behind the scenes with parties who are about to go into a negotiation or mediation or to handle a tricky HR issue, giving them the edge in those discussions.

“Liz helped us strategically to work out all the possible outcomes of mediation, even the ones we didn’t want to look at. She was also great at exploring how best to communicate so that the other person in the dispute would listen, which proved invaluable at a critical point in the proceedings. Both her legal and psychotherapeutic background make her invaluable as a mediation coach” GP in a partnership dispute.

“This coaching was worth its weight in gold. We were far better prepared for the mediation than the other party - and it showed.” IT partner, Thames Valley Law Firm

Liz also provides master classes in holding "Difficult Conversations" -  this training may save you the agony of a full-blown dispute down the line!

Wild camping, performing flashmobs with her choir, swingdance, 70s-80s discos, cold water swimming and visiting spas.

“Your mediation has been a huge and inspiring help triggering many new thoughts and approaches for me.  It is already improving things – very much appreciated.”

“You really inspired me to take a very different, more positive and less rigid approach in relation to my views and gave excellent advice on how to engage with my colleague and what to focus on.”

“Everyone is delighted with the outcome of the mediation and it has had a positive impact on the whole team”

“The atmosphere in the office has been much better and the whole office appears calmer despite how busy we have been.”

“I spoke with HR after our last mediation session and told them how fantastic you were during the process and that many more people in our organisation would benefit from your superb mediation skills and expertise. 

I have suggested to HR that any relationship issues should be first put through the mediation process rather than the disciplinary process, which does not resolve issues, whereas your fabulous mediation sessions really do. 

You have been amazing in this entire process and I only wish you were introduced to us much earlier.   Many thanks again for all your help!”

“Liz was non-judgemental and an intent listener in our initial meeting.  Her coaching on how to approach the joint mediation session was invaluable and really enabled me to focus on how to approach speaking to someone that I had found it nigh on impossible and extremely upsetting to communicate with up till then. 

Focusing on simplifying and personalising working examples, I found it much easier to communicate to my colleague the impact her behaviour has had on myself and the team overall.  Liz's coaching and gentle steering throughout the session kept the environment constructive, striving for personal responses to enable participants to move forward. 

I was astounded to feel compassion towards my colleague, and feel the need to assist her when she struggled with her feelings. Although my colleague and I may seem similar in our working personas, Liz managed to uncover distinct and profound differences in our working behaviours which she managed to convey well, without criticism or judgement, so that we could each understand, appreciate and be sympathetic to individual styles to create a more collaborative relationship.”

Liz helped us strategically to work out all the possible outcomes of mediation, even the ones we didn’t want to look at. She was also great at exploring how best to communicate so that the other person in the dispute would listen, which proved invaluable at a critical point in the proceedings. Both her legal and psychotherapeutic background make her invaluable as a mediation coach” (GP in a partnership dispute)

“This coaching was worth its weight in gold. We were far better prepared for the mediation than the other party – and it showed.”  (IT partner, Thames Valley Law Firm)