Exchange Chambers launches specialist Business and Property Mediation Group

October 1, 2026

Exchange Chambers has launched a specialist Business and Property Mediation Group, bringing together experienced barristers and mediators to provide a dedicated mediation service.

The new group, announced today at Exchange’s Mediation in Conversation seminar in Manchester, initially comprises Peter Dixon, David Fearon, Steven Fennell, Jonathan Lowe and Lawrence McDonald, supported by clerks with particular experience in business and property work. The group is expected to grow in the coming months, with further Business and Property barristers joining from across a range of specialisms and levels of call.

Members of the group have established practices in business and property law, giving them a detailed understanding of the issues involved in the disputes they mediate. Some also accept appointments as adjudicators and arbitrators, while others hold part-time judicial appointments.

Commenting on the launch of Exchange’s Business and Property Mediation Group, Peter Dixon, barrister and Civil Mediation Council (CMC) registered mediator, said:

“Exchange has had considerable mediation expertise within its Business and Property team for many years. Bringing that expertise together in a dedicated group will make it easier for solicitors and clients to identify and appoint a mediator with substantial experience of business and property disputes.

“As practising barristers, we understand the legal issues involved in these disputes as well as the wider commercial considerations that are important to the parties.”

The move comes as mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution play an increasingly prominent role in civil litigation.

Changes to the Civil Procedure Rules which took effect in October 2024 expressly incorporated the promotion or use of alternative dispute resolution into the overriding objective and gave the courts express case management powers to order parties to engage in ADR. The changes followed the Court of Appeal’s decision in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, which confirmed that courts can lawfully order parties to engage in a non-court-based dispute resolution process in appropriate circumstances.

The commercial mediation market has also grown significantly. CEDR’s 2025 Mediation Audit estimated that around 21,000 civil and commercial mediations took place in England and Wales in the year to 30 September 2024, up 24% from the 17,000 cases reported in 2022.

Peter Dixon continued:

“Mediation can be a highly effective way of resolving many of the disputes that might otherwise come before the Business and Property Courts.

“One of the advantages is that the parties can choose their mediator. In a specialist dispute, they can appoint someone who is experienced in mediation but who also understands the relevant area of law and the commercial context in which the dispute has arisen.

“That familiarity can be valuable. It means the mediator can get to grips with the issues quickly and focus on helping the parties find a way forward.”

The dedicated Business and Property Mediation Group forms part of Exchange Chambers’ wider mediation practice. Members of Chambers also act as mediators in other specialist areas, including personal injury and family disputes.