Testimonials

Michael was an inspirational world leader in the modern development of dispute resolution, particularly mediation and the arb-med hybrid, as well as a good friend. Here’s a tribute to him from 2019: https://mediationblog.kluwerarbitration.com/2019/12/22/tracking-the-path-through-the-gpc-and-acknowledging-the-footsteps-along-the-way/.

I knew Michael Leathes for many years.  We served together on the IMI Board for two terms and we made a productive pair.  His vision to tap into the private sector to professionalize the practice of mediation was critical during these transition years of our profession.  Providing accreditation of professionals and training institutions – as well as a platform for

I met Michael in 2004 at a world mediation conference in the United States. We understood each other immediately because, although we had different experiences in the ADR field, we instantly felt united by a common passion: mediation. We met in the following years for joint training and consultancy projects involving Michael and CONCILIA in training mediators in some European

Michael was one of the first people involved in ADR who I met when I moved from South Africa to the UK in 2003. He was still working for BAT. He was immediately interested in my experience in SA and engaged me in discussion. We worked together off and on, mainly through the IMI. He was a consummate professional, wise

You only have to read these many pages of tributes to realise the depth and breadth of affection and respect for Michael, right across the globe. In a world where mere lip-service is too often paid to the benefits of collaboration, here was a man who grasped its true value, and lived by it. For him, the success of anyone

Farewell Michael.  One of the Finest Men I ever met.

The loss of Michael saddens me deeply. His vision and spirit enriched the ADR community, as he understood that mediation is not just about resolving disputes but, more importantly, about building connections and fostering harmony in the world. Michael’s efforts to establish the International Mediation Institute (IMI) as a user-driven organization were pivotal in promoting respect for and understanding of

So much was Michael at the root and in the heart of the International Mediation Institute IMI and its people. I’m sure he will be so forever. We praise the great efforts Michael made for IMI, for mediation and for other forms of dispute resolution on an international level. Representatives of the Netherlands Mediation Institute NMI (the organization I led

I was deeply saddened to hear that Michael is no longer with us. My memories of him go back to the days when he was a client at some of the multi-national corporations he spent time with – I had the good fortune of working closely with him on a number of challenging cases, particularly in South East Asia. He

There are only a few real Leaders in this world – Michael was certainly one of them. Michael has always been a role model for me in the area of mediation and one of the many projects we handled, the role-play video “Resolution Through Mediation: Solving a Complex International Business Problem (IP Dispute)”, created together with the International Trademark Association

What an honour to count Michael as a friend, mentor and colleague. We met many years ago in the early days of the mediation movement and Michael and BAT were instrumental in the promotion of the Millennium Accord in 1998, a pledge signed by over 500 organisations globally to use mediation rather than resort to ARMS (Adversarial Resolution Methods). Michael