Most employment disputes that end up at tribunal would have settled earlier and cheaper if mediation had been available at the right moment, at the right price, and on a timeline that matched the urgency of the situation. The barrier is rarely the principle of mediation. It is usually that finding the right mediator, agreeing terms, and getting a date in the diary takes longer than the dispute can afford to wait.

This product solves that problem. A standard, fixed-fee workplace and employment mediation, delivered within 28 days, by a practising barrister, fee-paid judge and accredited workplace mediator. Two pricing variants depending on whether you want in-person or online delivery. Everything covered by the fee, including preparation time, the day itself, settlement agreement drafting, and a copy of Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation for each party.

The product is deliberately scoped to keep the fee fixed and the timeline tight. Cases falling outside the scope (more senior staff, larger claim values, more than two individuals on either side, multi-party disputes, or non-employment matters) are quoted bespoke. Most workplace and employment disputes the mediator sees fall within the scope of this product.

Two ways to book

Format comparison

Both variants include all preparation, the mediation day itself (typically 9:30 to 16:30 with breaks), and the drafting of a settlement agreement on the day where the parties reach agreement. Total mediator time committed to the case: approximately seven hours.

Format 1: In-person workplace and employment mediation

Delivered at a venue convenient for the parties within the London area, including the City, West End, Canary Wharf, and Greater London boroughs (within Zones 1 to 6). The mediator’s chambers at 330 High Holborn are available as a neutral venue if neither party has a preferred location. Travel and expenses within the London area are included in the fee. For mediations outside Greater London, see the “Outside London” note below.

Book a fixed-fee in-person mediation or request a tailored quote for a matter outside scope.

Format 2: Live online workplace and employment mediation

Delivered via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, with breakout rooms for private sessions and a joint room for plenary discussion. Online mediation suits geographically distributed parties (one in London, the other outside the UK, for example), urgent timing where travel logistics would slow things down, and parties who simply find a video format less confrontational than being in the same building.

A copy of Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation is posted to each party in advance of the mediation date.

Book a fixed-fee online mediation or request a tailored quote.

What is covered by the fixed fee

The fee covers everything from the moment the parties confirm the date through to the settlement agreement on the day.

• Initial intake and date confirmation. Confirmation that the dispute falls within the scope of the fixed-fee product, agreement of a mutually convenient date within 28 days, and a brief preliminary call with each party to explain the process.
• Reading the position statements and supporting documents (each party submits a short position statement of no more than 10 pages and a bundle of key documents not exceeding 100 pages). Identification of the key issues, the range of possible outcomes, and the likely settlement zone.
• The mediation day. A full day of mediation, typically 9:30 to 16:30 with breaks for lunch and refreshments. Opening joint session, separate private sessions with each party (the mediator shuttles between them), joint sessions where useful to test movement, and a structured drive towards settlement.
• Settlement agreement on the day. Where the parties reach agreement, the mediator drafts a written settlement agreement or heads of terms on the day, ready for signature by each party’s solicitor (if instructed) or directly by the parties if represented in person.
• Copy of the book for each party. A copy of Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation sent in advance to support each party’s preparation.

Scope and eligibility

This product is deliberately scoped to keep the fee fixed and the timeline tight. To qualify, the dispute must meet all of the following:

• Employment law claims only. Unfair dismissal, breach of contract, wrongful dismissal, holiday pay, notice pay, unlawful deduction of wages, redundancy disputes, constructive dismissal, and other employment-law-based claims. Discrimination, whistleblowing, equal pay, and TUPE matters are usually outside scope because of the additional complexity, but contact me to discuss.
• Claim value up to £100,000. Where the quantum of the claim (combined for all heads) exceeds £100,000, a bespoke quote is needed. Most unfair dismissal and breach of contract claims involving employees up to senior management level fall comfortably under this cap.
• Employees up to and including board or director level, but excluding C-suite executives, partners in LLPs, and senior executives whose remuneration package, restrictive covenants, or share-based incentives meaningfully complicate the dispute. These cases are quoted bespoke.
• Up to two individuals on the employer side and one on the employee side (or vice versa). Typical configurations are: employee + HR representative; employee + line manager + HR; or employee with their representative + employer’s HR and legal. Group claims and multi-party disputes are outside scope.
• Date within 28 days of the parties’ confirmation that they wish to proceed. Urgent cases (within 7 days) can usually be accommodated; contact me to confirm.

If the dispute falls outside any of these limits, I am still very likely to be able to help. The fixed-fee product becomes a bespoke quote, and the bespoke quote is usually in the £4,000 to £8,000 + VAT range depending on complexity and seniority.

When fixed-fee mediation is the right choice

Fixed-fee mediation is the right answer when:

• The employment relationship is over or clearly heading that way, and both sides want a clean, fast exit
• A grievance or disciplinary process has concluded or stalled and the next step is either mediation or tribunal
• A tribunal claim has been filed (or is imminent) and ACAS early conciliation has not produced a settlement
• Solicitors on both sides are open to a structured day of mediation but want predictable cost and timeline
• One or both parties want to move on, but a clean exit needs a third party to broker the terms

It is not the right answer when:

• The dispute is about an ongoing working relationship that both sides want to repair (workplace mediation is a different product, designed to keep an employment relationship working, and is delivered bespoke)
• The dispute involves serious allegations that should be investigated before any settlement discussion (see workplace investigation services)
• The dispute involves a claim above £100,000 or senior leaders outside the scope above (bespoke quote)
• The parties are not actually in agreement that mediation is the right next step

Indicative timetable for the mediation day

The day is flexible by design and the mediator adjusts as the dispute requires, but a typical fixed-fee mediation runs along these lines.

Online mediations follow the same shape using video breakout rooms instead of physical rooms.

Why this approach is different

Most workplace and employment mediators in the UK come from a backgrounds in HR, organisational psychology, or general civil mediation. Their training is in mediation skills, which matters and is necessary. What is less common is the combination this product offers:

I am a practising employment law barrister, an accredited workplace mediator, and a fee-paid judge. I have evaluated employment evidence in thousands of contested matters as a judge, represented parties at tribunal across the full range of employment claims, and conducted mediations across workplace and employment contexts. That combination matters in three specific ways.

First, evaluation skill. I can tell each party in private session what a judge would be likely to do with their evidence at tribunal. That reality-checks unrealistic expectations and surfaces real settlement zones much faster than a mediator without judicial experience.

Second, legal accuracy. Employment law mediation involves real legal positions, real settlement agreement drafting (including section 111A protections, COT3 considerations, tax structuring of termination payments, and restrictive covenants). I draft these things every week. A mediator without legal training drafts them less confidently or refers the parties back to their solicitors, slowing things down.

Third, speed. Because I prepare quickly, draft confidently, and resolve substantive legal questions in the room rather than referring out, fixed-fee mediation works at this price point with this scope. A senior commercial mediator without legal training would either need more time or charge more for the same outcome.

What past clients say

“I cannot recommend Robin Somerville for all commercial mediation needs. He was very approachable and went to great lengths to try and help both parties come together to negotiate a settlement. He has a good sense of perspective and worked very hard to help.”

Max Wieliczko, Holman Fenwick Willan LLP

“Robin Somerville is a tremendously talented advocate and skilled and intuitive mediator who is dedicated to working with both parties to reach a satisfactory outcome.”

William Miles, Briffa LLP

“Fabulous result, lifesaver, exceeded our expectations and gave us back our livelihood. We can’t thank him enough.”

Stephen Ball

See all client testimonials.

Outside London, urgent matters, and bespoke quotes

Outside London. For in-person mediation outside Greater London, the fee remains £2,999 + VAT for the day itself, with travel and accommodation at cost. For matters in the UK regional cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow), typical add-on cost is £200 to £500. Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and overseas mediations are quoted on application. Online mediation removes the question entirely and is available worldwide at £1,999 + VAT.

Urgent matters. Mediations needed within 7 days of confirmation can usually be accommodated, subject to diary. The fee remains the same.

Bespoke quotes are provided where the dispute falls outside the scope of the fixed-fee product. Most bespoke workplace and employment mediations land between £4,000 and £8,000 + VAT depending on complexity and seniority. For very senior, very high value, or particularly sensitive disputes, the quote may be higher and will be confirmed in writing before any commitment.

Request a bespoke quote or book a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Is the £2,999 / £1,999 fee per party or shared?

The fee is a single fixed fee for the mediation, shared between the parties however they agree (typically split 50:50, but other splits are common, particularly where one party has stronger interest in resolution). The mediator does not direct the cost split. If the parties cannot agree on how to split the cost, the mediator will not proceed until that is resolved.

What if we settle before the mediation day?

If the parties reach settlement after the mediation has been booked but before the day itself, the cancellation policy applies (see below). If a settlement is reached as a direct result of the mediator’s preparation work (for example, after the position statements are exchanged but before the day), the fee remains payable in full because the mediator’s preparation has been done. Most mediators include a “settled-in-advance” provision in this way and most parties consider it fair.

What is the cancellation policy?

Full refund for cancellations made 14 or more days before the mediation day. 50% refund for cancellations 7 to 13 days before. No refund for cancellations within 7 days, but the mediation can be rescheduled at no charge to a date within 60 days subject to availability. Where one party cancels and the other still wishes to proceed, the mediator will discuss alternatives, including a paid one-party session to explore positions and prepare for a renewed mediation later.

Will you advise either party on their legal position?

No. The mediator is a neutral third party and does not provide legal advice to either side during or after the mediation. Each party should have independent legal representation, or should have taken legal advice in advance. The mediator can confirm what a judge or tribunal would likely think of a given argument, but only as a reality-check, not as legal advice.

Is the mediation confidential?

Yes. Mediation is conducted on a without-prejudice basis, which means that anything said during the mediation cannot be referred to in subsequent tribunal or court proceedings, except in narrow exceptions (such as proving the existence of a settlement agreement). Section 111A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 also provides specific protection for pre-termination settlement discussions in unfair dismissal claims. Detailed explanation of these protections is included in the book each party receives.

What if the parties do not settle?

A significant minority of mediations do not produce a same-day settlement. In those cases, the mediator helps each party understand what would need to change for a settlement to be possible, identifies the obstacles, and where appropriate offers a brief written summary to each party (separately) of what the next steps might be. Many mediations that do not settle on the day settle within the following two weeks because the issues have been clarified. The fixed fee covers the mediator’s time for the day itself; no further fee is payable for those follow-on settlements.

Can the mediator also draft the settlement agreement after the day?

Yes, but only as an additional service quoted separately. On the day, the mediator drafts a binding heads of terms or short-form settlement agreement that the parties sign before leaving. Full long-form settlement agreement drafting (including COT3 wording, restrictive covenant variation, tax-structured termination payments) is usually done by each party’s solicitor afterwards. Where a party wishes the mediator to draft this in his barrister capacity, it is quoted separately, typically £500 to £1,500 + VAT depending on complexity.

How does this compare to ACAS conciliation?

ACAS conciliation is free, statutory, and a precondition to most employment tribunal claims. It is conducted by an ACAS conciliator (not a mediator, and not always legally qualified) over the telephone, typically across several days or weeks. It works well for straightforward cases and is always worth trying. Where ACAS conciliation does not produce a settlement, fixed-fee mediation is the natural next step: a single concentrated day, structured around the legal and commercial reality, with a barrister and judge in the room.

Take the next step

If you would like to discuss whether this product is the right fit for a particular dispute, or to confirm a mediation date, please get in touch.

Call 020 4538 0246, email robin@robinsomerville.co.uk, request a quote, or book a discovery call directly.

Related services and resources

For workplace and employment mediation outside the scope of the fixed-fee product (multi-party disputes, very senior or high-value matters, ongoing working relationship mediations), see the bespoke workplace and employment mediation service. For commercial mediation in non-employment matters, see the commercial mediator service page. For underlying knowledge, see the workplace and employment mediation knowledge guide and the book Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation. For disputes that have not yet reached the mediation stage, see workplace investigation services and training for HR teams.