Austin is a CEDR accredited mediator (2004), a Mediators Institute of Ireland Practitioner Member (2009), a member of the International Mediators Institute (IMI) and has completed his study of advanced mediation with MATA (2008). He is also an accredited Conflict Management Coach (2010) and a Master Trainer in Conflict Competence (2013). Austin has been a member of the CEDR International Panel since 2010 and is the only Irish Mediator being referred work in the UK.

Since 2008 Austin has mediated a significant number of commercial disputes in Ireland and the UK across a wide range of sectors as well as handling workplace and community mediations and coaching clients through difficult conflict situations.

Austin has been on the Council of the Irish Commercial Mediation Association (ICMA) since 2007 and was Chairman for four years up to 2014. He also regularly lectures in Irish Universities, Professional Bodies and Business Colleges on mediation, negotiation and conflict management.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

His background is accounting and business and he ran his own successful accountancy practice for 20 years until 2008. While in professional practice his areas of expertise included forensic accounting, insolvency, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance. He worked extensively advising on legal business agreements including share sales, partnerships, co-ownership, business sales, Directors employment contracts and option agreements.

He has been Chairman of a number of companies including motor, property, hospitality, retail, distribution and manufacturing sectors. He has been adviser to many family businesses dealing with challenging issues involving business transition, succession planning and tax planning.

He has been coach and mentor to a number of business owners working in the areas of goal setting, building business vision and strategic planning.

MEDIATION WORK

Austin has had excellent success in his mediation work with over 80% of cases settled. He offers disputing parties an opportunity to step away from the adversarial legal approach and benefit from his personal brand of commerciality, common sense, humanity and relentless positivity. He has mediated across a wide range of sectors and case types including:-

Aviation
Banking and finance
Charities
Compulsory Purchase Orders
Construction and engineering
Education
Employment & Workplace
Healthcare
Energy & Utilities
Insurance
Intellectual Property
Media & entertainment
Partnerships
Personal Injury
Professional negligence
Property
Public sector
Shareholder agreements
Supply of Goods & Services
Technical & IT

Utilities

Waste
Wills & Probate

Austin has also mediated a number of workplace and separating couples/divorce cases. These cases require a deeper understanding and capacity to work with interpersonal conflict and often highly irrational behavior. As a Certified Conflict Management Coach (Cinnie Noble) and a Master Trainer in Conflict Dynamic Profile (Eckerd College, Florida), Austin has become highly competent in working with disputants to help them build self-awareness with view to achieving the best possible outcomes in mediation.

MEDIATION STYLE

Austin is predominantly a facilitative mediator with a keen eye for a deal. His commercial background, business acumen and high level of numeracy skills helps him sit comfortably in commercial cases involving high levels of monetary calculations, formulae and accounting standards and principles.

Paradoxically (some might say) his personality and people skills are his big strength. He has the capacity to build trust from early on with parties as well as recognize and work with the emotional blockages that often get in the way of settling cases.

Preparation is central to his work. Pre-mediation meetings and site meetings are a regular feature. He works with Parties and their representatives to design a mediation process that they buy into. As a mediator he believes his job is to bring creativity to the dispute resolution process. He works hard on reality testing, risk analysis, option generation key and widening the cake where possible.

Michael is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Managing Director of Madigan Mediation & Consultancy Services Ltd. He is a CEDR accredited Mediator and a Honorary Treasurer of the Mediators Institute of Ireland and a Council member of the Irish Commercial Mediation Association.

Michael has 29 years banking experience having held senior risk and lending positions with Ulster Bank and First Active. Michael's mediation experience primarily relates to commercial disputes in Ireland and the UK covering contract, shareholder and partnership disputes. Michael has also successfully assisted a number of his clients in their negotiations with financial institutions.