Elizabeth Birch

Elizabeth has been mediating commercial and international disputes since 1995, with a particular emphasis on maritime, commercial, insurance and reinsurance.  She was called to the Bar in 1978 where she fostered a reputation in a wide range of commercial and international areas of the law. She became a mediator in 1995, giving up advocacy in 2003 and has since been wholly dedicated to mediation and sitting as arbitrator. According to one beneficiary of her considerable skills ‘her gentle persona hides a solid steel intellect’, which may explain how she so effectively helps sophisticated clients to avoid litigation who are involved in high-value, highly-technical and complex disputes, often in cross border litigation or arbitration.

Elizabeth has successfully conducted a very substantial number of mediations in commercial and cross border disputes.  She receives appointments from the ICC, LCIA and other international panels.  She is a Panel Member of SMC (Singapore Mediation Centre); SIMC (Singapore International Mediation Centre), SIMI (Singapore International Mediation Institute), AAA/ICDR (Main Panel and Oil and Gas Panel) and CPR (New York) for distinguished international mediators.  She was named as one of the top 10 mediators in UK in two surveys carried out by In Brief in 2002 and 2005 and recommended in Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession from 1998 – 1999 to date.  Who’s Who Legal 2016 put Elizabeth in their “Most Highly Regarded” category.

LLB (Lon) 1974

Barrister-at-Law 1978

FCIArb (1993)

Diploma in international commercial arbitration (distinction) – Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (1998);

Qualified mediator (1995);

Advanced mediator training (MATA) (2005); IMI Certification for cross-border disputes (2012)

SIMI Certification (2015)