Professional background and experience:

Reg Reynolds is an ADR specialist (mediation, arbitration, construction adjudication and negation), professional Engineer, Construction Project Manager, retired Executive, Executive Coach, Master NLP practitioner and trainer. Reg has from time to time been at the forefront of Community Disputes involving new highways, roads and leases. He has also owned a ladies clothing shop, a recruitment agency, both of which entailed disputes and negotiations with franchisors and centre management. Reg also owns a coaching and training company. He has spent over 40 years in executive positions associated with large power stations and mining multidisciplinary megaprojects costing R billions. Construction contracts are complex giving rise to multitudes of disputes, which if not properly managed continue for years, often after the completion of the contract, and are only finally resolved either by arbitration or litigation. Throughout the duration of Reg’s construction career, no contract for which he was responsible ever ended up in arbitration or litigation. His current focus is mostly on Construction Arbitration and broad-based Mediation. Reg believes employers and construction companies should always attempt mediation prior to arbitration or litigation as the costs of 1 to 3 days in mediation are minimal compared to the horrendous costs and time spent on arbitration and litigation processes.

Mediation experience and style:

Reg has worked in the Dispute Resolution field for over 20 years, mainly in the Construction and Engineering fields. Construction is largely geared towards arbitration, litigation and adjudication which falls roughly between evaluative mediation and arbitration. Reg has however had success in mediating large construction claims. Reg has experience in diverse fields such as workplace, landlord and tenant, Sectional Titles, franchisors and franchisees, commercial contracts and family mediation. His preferred style of mediation is facilitative which arises from his more than 25 years of experience as an executive, leadership and transformational life coach. Why? Because when people arrive at a self-generated solution, they own it. And usually, both parties are satisfied with the outcome. Reg has also acted as an evaluative mediator. And almost inevitably the losing party will want to explore some means of appeal. And as often as not, I too am left feeling dissatisfied with the outcome. When parties enter a facilitative process, they usually retain their relationship whereas evaluative processes often destroy it. Parties never enter litigation or arbitration with any expectation of losing. It is a lengthy and costly process. Mediation only takes a day or two. And the odds of winning or losing remain very much the same.

Comments from mediation clients:

“Compassionate and fair”

“A master at this”

“Both parties benefited”

“Challenging, intuitive, patient and understanding”