Professional background and experience:

Graham is an experienced legal practitioner. He is a Senior Counsel and accredited mediator and arbitrator. With a career spanning over 28 years, Graham has an extensive background in commercial litigation, insolvency, business rescue and alternative dispute resolution.  He began his legal career as an attorney before joining the Johannesburg Society of Advocates in 2002. In 2020, he was appointed Senior Counsel and has served as an acting judge in the High Court of South Africa from time to time. Before joining the Bar, he was a Director at Cliffe Dekker Inc. from 1997 to 2002.

He was accredited as a mediator by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in 2010 and has since mediated and arbitrated numerous complex legal disputes across both the public and private sectors.

Graham is also active in advocacy training and is widely respected as a mentor and educator within the legal profession. His experience spans construction, property, insurance, energy, banking, aviation, administrative law, commercial and company law disputes, among others. Graham holds a BA and LLB from Stellenbosch University, an LLM in Marine Law with distinction from the University of Cape Town, and a Higher Diploma in Arbitration from the Association of Arbitrators, which he earned in 1996. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa).

Mediation experience and style:

Graham brings a calm, strategic, and empathetic presence to the mediation process. He is known for his strong technical expertise, nuanced legal reasoning, and ability to grasp and clarify complex legal and interpersonal issues. His approach fosters open dialogue, encourages cooperation, and consistently leads to effective, lasting resolutions. Clients describe him as a consummate professional with exceptional judgment, a sharp legal mind, and a collaborative style. He is especially praised for his ability to balance rigorous legal analysis with human insight, making him an excellent mediator.

Comments from clients:

“We really valued the effort that you put into our case and the advice that you continually gave us. You are a consummate professional and we would definitely recommend your services to any of our associates."