Testimonials for Colin David Russ

Colin is without doubt one of the best mediators in the market place. He always prepares thoroughly so that client's valuable time is not wasted on the day itself. All clients without exception have felt at ease in his company as he has a calming but persuasive manner and seems to get the very best out of clients even when the situation is acrimonious

I have used Colin several times as a mediator in last 18 months and on each occasion he has approached the mediation with consummate professionalism. He puts the parties at ease with his manner and style and works very hard for the parties in his efforts to reach a solution. Colin has worked through the night to reach the right outcome and he never clock watches. He is one of the top 2 or 3 mediators I have used. 

Colin is an exceptional mediator whose style and approach is extremely difficult to fault. He is always extremely well prepared and shows an interest in the subject matter. Again, that helps his relationship with the clients. His approach is always perfectly pitched to the specific circumstances of the case and to the clients.

Although he is extremely thorough and in tune with the clients' needs, he has a relaxed and friendly approach. He knows how to handle difficult situations in a way that disentangles the complexities of the case effectively.

I have been involved in approximately 30 mediations and in my opinion; Colin Russ is one of the best mediators I have come across.  He is extremely easy to get on with and therefore ensures that he quickly wins and then retains the trust of the parties. He also combines perfectly the assessment of the legal merits of the dispute with the commercial imperative to achieve a settlement acceptable to the parties.  If the mediation is not successful on the day he will also provide as much assistance as he can after the mediation to try to facilitate a resolution.

Colin has a good way with clients and in my experience he always works hard to get a settlement. He is one of the most experienced mediators available and I would recommend him for any value of claim.

Colin has a refreshing approach to mediation - he shows a genuine interest in finding out more about the parties involved in his mediations and takes the time to get to know them, which, is a huge help and gives the parties confidence in the mediation process and in Colin as the mediator.

He clearly spends a lot of time reading the papers and familiarising himself with the dispute and the parties ahead of the mediation which puts him in a great position to actually be able to assist the parties and provide some useful steer, as opposed to just going from room to room.  On one occasion, when it looked like the parties had reached stalemate, Colin managed to get them talking again on different terms to try a further settlement.  He demonstrates patience and calmness and a willingness to do the job properly, and doesn't let the fact that it's getting late, or that the parties' tempers are fraying get in the way of still trying to find a settlement.

Colin is a very personable and effective mediator who works hard to help the parties resolve their disputes. His style is relaxed but he is tenacious and engages in robust reality testing. He is not one of those mediators who gets very hung up about his success rates and he never "bullies" the parties into settling. Having said that, I have never had a case which he has mediated which has not settled on the day.

Colin provided some excellent mediation training to the commercial litigation team. He gave valuable insights from a mediator's perspective as to the role of advocates in the mediation process and shared stories of best practice from which we could all learn. The interactive session was both informative and good fun for the whole team!

We had an excellent day's training with Colin Russ.  Colin's considerable experience as a mediator was invaluable when it came to answering questions on strategy and tactics.  The training helped me greatly in learning how to conduct a successful mediation.

We use Colin every year for the 'Representing Clients in Mediation' course; every time he gets good feedback with lawyers rating the course as one of the best that they have ever attended - very practical and hands on...plus Colin is a pleasure to work with.

My organisation has worked with Colin throughout the last 5 years and we regularly utilise Colin's expertise as a mediation skills trainer on mediation courses in different locations all over the world.  He is a skillful, charismatic trainer who consistently produces the most excellent feedback from his trainees. Colin brings to all the training he does, a high level of 'hands on' expertise as well as great conviction and enthusiasm for the field of mediation.