Dr Rebecca Wilson (née French)

Name: Dr Rebecca Wilson (née French)

Qualifications: BA/LLB (Hons)(First Class)(UWA), LLM (Melb),  PhD (Melb)

Title: Mediator

Organisation: French DR Mediation Services

State: Victoria

Immediation Practice Area: Mediation

Profile

I am the Principal of French DR Mediation  Services. I am an NMAS accredited mediator and coach, and an LIV accredited  mediator. As a mediator, my approach is practical, commercially focussed and  adaptive to a broad range of people. My extensive legal experience means I  grasp the legal and technical complexities of a wide range of disputes. Since  2011, I have also been a VCAT member and have heard and determined many  cases. I have successfully conciliated and mediated many disputes at VCAT and  in my private practice. My experience in hearing cases gives me a unique and  down to earth perspective on the important issues (from the court’s  viewpoint) in the hearing process.

At mediation, my focus is on helping the  parties get to the key issues quickly and hear each other, enabling them to  fully analyse the strengths and weaknesses of their cases, and their  litigation risk. I achieve a consistently high settlement rate. I am  outcome-focussed and assist the parties to start and continue their dialogue,  moving them towards resolving the dispute.

I have been a member of various Law Institute  of Victoria (LIV) committees over many years. Since 2016, this includes the  LIV’s ADR committee. I am on various government and private mediation panels.  I am regularly invited to speak to groups inside and outside VCAT and the  legal profession, on how to successfully mediate disputes.  

Personal Comment

I chose to be a career mediator because I find  it enormously rewarding to help people resolve their disputes, particularly  having witnessed first-hand the hugely negative toll of litigation on their  lives and businesses.  

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