The mediation community mourns the loss of Michael Leathes, a distinguished figure whose contributions have profoundly shaped the field. Michael was instrumental in the establishment of the renowned IMI – International Mediation Institute (IMI) and he served in a pro bono capacity as the first Executive Director of the institution. In addition, he was heavily influential in the Working Group…
Michael was an extraordinary mentor, friend, teacher, leader, lawyer, businessman, visionary, and, above all, a remarkable human being. His deep values, principles, unwavering sense of justice and indomitable spirit touched everyone who knew him. His impact extended far beyond his professional career as an outstanding lawyer and maverick general counsel. He was instrumental in founding, orchestrating and sustaining IMI and
Michael was and always will be a huge motivator for me. He pursued the unity of mediators around the world and worked fervently to bless us all with a positive narrative of mediation practice. Though he was based miles away, he came and worked quietly to place Singapore on the map of international mediation. Directly and indirectly, his work became
The 7 Keys Initiative that he and Manon spearheaded was such a gift to the field. He worked tirelessly to make that happen. https://mediate.com/seven-keys-to-unlock-mediations-golden-age-the-introduction/. What struck me as we were working on this was how much he did NOT want his name to be mentioned – he wanted all credit going to other authors. So humble.
I believe it was around 2005, in Rome at an ADR Center event sponsored by the EU, where Michael shared his vision for IMI. I vividly recall the passionate discussion among us practitioners about his concept, and my initial skepticism. It was only a few years later that I recognized the significant impact of IMI on the mediation world and
This is indeed very sad news. He was such a fantastic human being and he offered so much to the world regarding mediation. We will all miss him.
Oh, how sad. On top of being a genuine leader who created new ideas and directions several times in our work, Michael was simply a wonderful human being, always open and honest and generous. Every conversation we had, in person and by email, was memorable. Thank you for honoring him — he was a joy to work with, and will be
Although I did not know Michael as well as others. There is one vivid memory of him that stands out in my mind. It was in Singapore, at Chijmes, just a short distance from where I now work — a coincidence, perhaps, or a twist of fate. I was living in Malaysia at that time and had visited Singapore for
Michael was an extraordinary man who taught me to look at everything from different perspectives. He inspired my complete way of thinking and always challenged me to get outside my comfort zone. He was full of ideas and energy but presented these with charm and wit and gentleness. I am eternally grateful for the friendship I had with him –
What a loss for all of us. I will never forget our first sessions, some twenty years ago, and our fun discussions. Please convey my condolences to his family.
What an irreplaceable loss! That mediation wears the cloak of international acclaim today and has found its way into the natural vocabulary of most lawyers including the lexicon of judges is due largely to the dogged commitment of Michael Leathes. The mediation and dispute resolution community has truly lost a phenomenon whose contribution will remain evergreen. Not only did Michael
It’s morning here in Singapore and I just got the news. Exchanged messages with Michael last week through his son. He was optimistic about a full recovery and this is totally unexpected. We all loved Michael and what he stood for.
