Settling is cheaper
than suing
Mediation is a dispute-resolution procedure with a neutral intermediary under Russian Federal Law No. 193-FZ. I do not judge or decide who is right: my job is to structure the conversation so the parties find a solution they are both prepared to honour. It usually takes weeks — against a year or more for litigation with appeal and enforcement. A settlement is not guaranteed: the procedure may end without one, and that is a normal outcome.
Mediation
Shareholder and partner disputes
When a conflict between co-owners paralyses the company.
- Splitting the business and shareholder exit
- Profit distribution and areas of responsibility
- Conflicts between the owner and a hired CEO
Commercial disputes
Disagreements with counterparties where the relationship matters more than winning.
- Debts, deadlines, quality of work
- Mutual claims under contracts
- Restructuring of obligations
Employment disputes
Individual disputes between employee and employer — before they reach court.
- Terms and circumstances of dismissal
- Payments and mutual claims
- Disputes over pay, sanctions and working conditions
Family and property disputes
Situations where a court battle destroys the relationship for good.
- Division of property
- Child contact arrangements — where no non-participants' rights are affected
- Disagreements between heirs — with all interested parties taking part
Mediation session
The core format — in person or online, separately with each side and jointly.
- Private and joint meetings
- Testing the arrangements for feasibility
- Recording the agreements in wording both sides understand
Mediation clause
Prevention: a contract term saying the parties try to settle before litigating. I advise on where such a clause works and where it is useless — the text itself is drafted into the contract by your lawyers.
- Contracts where the clause genuinely saves the deal
- What to agree in advance: timing, choice of mediator, trigger point
- Aligning the procedure with both parties
A mediation agreement is a civil-law transaction. If the dispute is already in court, it can be approved as a settlement. If not, the agreement can be notarised — it then has the force of an enforceable instrument (Art. 12 of Law No. 193-FZ).
Boundaries of the procedure. The mediator is neutral: represents neither party, provides no legal assistance and makes no decisions for the parties. Mediation does not apply to collective labour disputes or to disputes affecting third-party rights or public interests. Participation is voluntary — either side may leave at any stage.
The text of the mediation agreement is drawn up and checked by the parties with their own lawyers — the mediator neither drafts it nor reviews it legally. The agreement to mediate is signed by both parties, and costs are shared equally unless agreed otherwise. I do not take a mediation if I have previously advised one of the parties or am bound to it by a contract in another line of work.
How the work goes
- STEP 01
Preliminary conversation
Usually one party gets in touch first. I find out what the dispute is about and whether the other party is willing to take part; if needed, I invite them myself, neutrally.
- STEP 02
Agreement to mediate
The parties agree in writing on the procedure: who mediates, the order, timing and how costs are shared.
- STEP 03
Sessions
Separate and joint meetings, in person or online. We check that the arrangements are workable before recording them.
- STEP 04
Mediation settlement
The parties record what they agreed and check the text with their own lawyers. Then it becomes a court-approved settlement or is certified by a notary.
- A single session on one issue
- A series of sessions for a complex dispute
- A review of mediation clauses for contracts
In person in Moscow or online. By law the parties share mediation costs equally unless they agree otherwise.
What people come with
- Co-owners cannot agree on one of them leavingThe price of the stake, the payment schedule and how the company runs while the exit is under way.
- A client and a contractor dispute the quality and payment of workWhen both want to keep working together and a lawsuit would certainly end that.
- An employee and an employer disagree on the terms of departureDates, payments and wording that suit both sides.
- Heirs cannot divide an estateWith everyone whose rights the decision affects taking part.
These are typical requests, not descriptions of specific cases: client information is never disclosed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does mediation take?
Under Article 13 of Federal Law No. 193-FZ of 27.07.2010 on mediation, the parties should aim to complete the procedure within 60 days. In exceptional cases, by agreement of the parties and with the mediator’s consent, it can be extended, but to no more than 180 days. In practice many disputes are settled in a few sessions.
What happens if no agreement is reached?
The procedure ends and the parties keep the right to go to court. The limitation period is suspended for the duration of the mediation (Article 202(3) of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation), so trying to settle does not cost you protection.
Can mediation start when a lawsuit is already under way?
Yes, at any stage. The court may adjourn the case so the parties can mediate, and approve the resulting agreement as a settlement.
Can what is said in mediation reach the court?
Mediation is confidential: the mediator may not disclose information about the procedure without the parties’ consent, and the procedural codes do not allow the mediator to be questioned as a witness about what they learned in the course of mediation.
Who pays the mediator?
The parties, in equal shares, unless they agree otherwise (Article 10 of Law No. 193-FZ). The payment arrangement is fixed in the agreement to mediate before the first session.
Describe the dispute in your own words — I will tell you whether it fits mediation and where to start.
Describe the disputeThe other five tasks
Crisis management
Financial diagnostics and a recovery plan when liabilities outrun cash flow.
03 / 06Business value
What a company or stake is worth, what drives the number, and what to check before buying.
04 / 06Career strategy
For executives at a turning point: profile diagnostics and workable scenarios for the next step.
05 / 06Recruitment
From line staff to engineers and mid-level managers. Volume flow, targeted search, project teams.
06 / 06Training
Seminars and corporate programmes: money, negotiations, disputes, business value and hiring — on your cases.
Describe the task
in your own words
Write what is going on: you need a person, negotiations have stalled, you are weighing a move or a sale of the business, the cash flow does not add up. I will reply within one working day: what I can help with, how long it takes and the rough order of the price — or tell you straight if the task is not mine.
Follow. I write about the work, case breakdowns and what is going on around. Subscribe if you want to follow — for business, email or phone works better.
I reply myselfRequests come to me personally, with no managers or call centre in between.