Roderick O'Driscoll

FCIArb, MBEng, Chartered Arbitrator, Accredited Mediator, Notary Public, Qualified Solicitor of the Supreme Court
  • 1996 CIArb Accredited Mediator
  • 27 years mediation experience
  • Chartered Arbitrator & Solicitor of the Supreme Court

Professional Background

Mediator Roderick O Driscoll, Rod is a Chartered Arbitrator, Accredited Mediator, a Notary Public and a qualified Solicitor of the Supreme Court.

Roderick was admitted as a solicitor in 1967 and has specialised in Construction and commercial matters for over thirty years. He became a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 1991 and an accredited mediator in 1996.

As well as acting in a private capacity in the above, he has for the last ten years or so lectured and run courses for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and others in all forms of ADR. His experience has primarily included the resolution of commercial disputes, all forms of building and civil engineering projects both here and abroad and, as a solicitor, he has had a full working experience of the Court practices and systems.

Educational & Training

  • Ampleforth College, Yorkshire
  • The Law Society
  • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Professional Activities

  • Practising Arbitrator and Mediator
  • Legal Adviser on all ADR matters
  • Course lecturer, tutor, and examiner
  • Provision of Notarial Services

Legal Professional History

March 1957 to March 1962 – Articled to the Rt. Hon. Lewis Silkin – Minister of Town & Country Planning of Lewis Silkin & Partners, Stories Gate, Westminster, London

March 1962 Qualified Solicitor of the Supreme Court and became Partner in Lewis Silkin & Partners practising from London

March 1970 Appointment as Notary Public

1972 – 2001 Senior Partner in Roderick O’Driscoll & Partners, Maidstone, Kent specialising in commercial, industrial and building disputes principally in the High Court. Practising advocate in Magistrates, County Courts and Official Referee’s Court with experience of Court of Appeal and House of Lords. Involvement in Official Referee’s Court (now Technology and Construction Court) as advocate and instructing solicitor relating to disputes concerned with general construction matters. Instructed by many large companies in Europe and throughout the world dealing in a number of international cases.

2001 – 2008 Senior Partner in Gulland & Gulland, Maidstone, Kent as Head of Construction and Arbitration Department.

Memberships and associated activities

  • The Law Society of England.
  • The Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.
  • SICA FICA, an international organisation dealing with dispute resolution.
  • Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Panel member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Accredited Mediator (CIArb)
  • Professional member of Dispute Resolution Board
  • Assessor for Mediation Accreditation for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Member of the Law Society Arbitration Panel
  • Approved Member of the Civil Mediation Council
  • Founder member of Keep Talking Eu (mediation suppliers)
  • Approved Tutor for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Member of the Association of Building Engineers
  • Honorary Life Member of the Institute of Clerks of Works
  • Member of the Society of Construction Arbitrators
  • Member of the European Court d’Arbitage, Strasbourg
  • Lecturer and author of several articles on Arbitration Law
  • Co-founder of the South Eastern Dispute and Arbitration Centre
  • Vice Chairman of South East Branch of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Mediation panel member of Effective Dispute Solutions Limited

Previous experience and case work

Roderick has been involved in several hundred cases in his capacity of Arbitrator and/or Mediator both international and domestic, involving commercial, construction and engineering issues. He has gained close familiarity with all the principle forms of construction contracts.

His experience extends to all types of building and civil engineering matters and he has a detailed knowledge of prolongation issues.

His commercial experience covers all forms of agreements including, amongst other subjects, intellectual property, partnership agreements, franchise agreements, Landlord and Tenant, and boundary issues.

In recent years, he has been involved both as advocate and as arbitrator in a number of international disputes, and domestic construction cases the values of which generally vary from £50,000 to in excess of £1m. His appointments, other than private appointments, are made by the Law Society or the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and he is a panel member of both organizations.

He is actively involved as a mediator receiving both private and Court appointments, and was a founder member of the Mediation Group of the South Eastern branch of the CIArb.

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