Professional services:

Services are offered online and in person. To book an appointment phone +27 82 3764447 or email john@mediatorlaw.com

Areas of practice:

Mediation:

Insurance,

Business,

Family, 

Community,

Estates,

Property,

Labour, and 

Organizational disputes

Arbitration:

Disciplinary hearings and labour disputes; educational sector disputes

Training:

Skills training for Mediators

Supervision, assessing & mentoring of mediators

Trusts & Estates:

Wills and Trusts;

Executor and / or Administrator of Deceased Estates 

Property:

Conveyancing (through correspondents);

Leasing

NGO Sector:

Non-Profit / Public Benefit Organisations / Civil Society Organisations.

About the practice:

I was educated in Lesotho and Cape Town, South Africa, where I did a BA, BA Hons and MA in history and religious studies at the University of Cape Town. 

After studying law through UNISA and doing articles, I was admitted as attorney and conveyancer in 1993 and I have been in private legal practice since then. I first trained as a mediator in 1994. 

I practised in the firm Walkers Inc from 1993 until 2012 when I started my own firm. My practice has mostly been in civil law, especially labour, insurance, contract and family law. While I was at Walkers I was part of a team working on one of the largest insurance claims in the country’s history, and I also worked as part of a team which administered the curatorship of a large group of investment companies.

Since starting my own firm I have specialised in mediation processes and training. I am accredited by Conflict Dynamics (Pty) Ltd, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) UK, the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement and the Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape (FAMAC) as a mediator. I was a founder member of the latter in 1994. 

I participated in further training through the Centre for Conflict Resolution at UCT, and I was also a member of the steering committee which established the National Accreditation Board for Family Mediators (NABFAM) in 2011. In 2017 I completed advanced training in Mediation in Complex Company / Community Environments at the Graduate School of Business (UCT). From 2024 to 2026 I was a director of the Association for Dispute Resolution Practitioners of South Africa NPC. 

I began training mediators in 1996. I currently coach and assess mediation trainees for Conflict Dynamics (Pty) Ltd and and I have conducted Train-the-Trainer courses on behalf of the Legal Education and Development division of the Law Society of South Africa (LEAD/LSSA).  

I also do custom designed in-house training for companies, schools, faith-based organisations and NGO's. From 2009 to 2024 together with Sandra Hitchcock on behalf of FAMAC, I trained Social Workers of the Western Cape Department of Social Development and their partner NGOs in mediation skills.

I also facilitate processes for private clients, which include organisational reviews, operational change-management processes, restructuring and strategic planning.

The Education, Training and Development Practices Sectoral Education Training Authority has accredited me to conduct outcomes-based assessments.

I have served as a trustee and board member of several schools and social development trusts, faith-based organisations and civil society organisations. 

I have been married to Elsabe Abraham since 1984 and we have two daughters and three grandchildren.