The firm has added the service to its offering as South <a href="https://absafricatv.com/gpei-women-football-stars-team-up-to-kick-polio-out-of-africa/” title=”GPEI-Women football stars team up to kick polio out of Africa”>Africa continues to explore mediation as an alternative dispute resolution option.
Nortons Incorporated has launched a new mediation practice. The South African firm unveiled its latest offering on Monday (22 July).
The new practice joins the firm’s existing services across corporate law, white-collar crime and corruption, regulatory matters, employment and economic advisory work.
The firm said the practice will offer mediation across a range of disputes including commercial and contractual agreements, workplace and employment issues, and shareholder and partnership disputes.
Nortons Incorporated wrote in a LinkedIn post: “no, we haven’t gone soft. We’ve just gotten smarter.” The firm expanded on its decision to offer mediation services, adding: “Court rolls are congested. Litigation is expensive. Years can pass before a judgment arrives – by which point the cost (in time, money, and energy) often outweighs the outcome.”
The firm concluded: “Mediation cuts through that: faster resolution, lower costs.”
South Africa has turned to mediation over the past year in an attempt to alleait for a hearing before the Gauteng division stretching as long as six years
The move has been met with mixed feedback, with some lawyers praising the decision while others have criticised the introduction of mandatory mediation as a constitutional violation.
Nortons Incorporated confirmed that its new practice will offer two forms of mediation support. The firm can advise and represent clients throughout the process, from assessing whether a dispute is suitable for mediation and selecting a mediator to representing them during the proceedings.
Alternatively, the firm’s mediators can act as independent neutrals, helping the parties work towards a resolution.
