How we can help
We work directly with you or together with anyone else important and helpful to you. For example, we work with your legal representatives, your commercial and technical advisors, and anyone else such as family members if they are important to sorting your stuff.
Facilitation
Having trouble getting everyone on the same page? North East Dispute Resolution can provide the expertise to help you run your meeting or process and to make sure everyone feels that they were heard and listened to.
Mediation
A non-determinative process that helps people work through any issue in dispute with a view to resolving things in a way that everyone can live with. Mediation services are available for litigation, for pre-litigation and for dispute avoidance. Why wait until you can’t sort things out? Mediation can help you avoid all that drama and expense.
Conciliation
A non-determinative process for private parties looking to solve things with the benefit of our deep legal and commercial experience. Neutral information and insights are used to help inform the parties what is, and what might not be, possible in a non-judgemental way.
Consulting
Not sure whether we tick the boxes? Call us. We respond to requests for consulting advice if it’s in our hitting zone.
You're in good company
NEDR is a recent innovation committed to helping people sort their stuff. Whatever that stuff might be, NEDR offers high quality facilitation, mediation and private conciliation services. Whether you are dealing with formal processes such as court matters, trying to avoid them, or simply trying to get your group, directors, or family, all on the same page, NEDR should be your first port of call on the journey to sorting your stuff.
Meet Doug
Douglas (Doug) Shirrefs is the principal of North East Dispute Resolution. With 20 plus years as a lawyer, and many more as an economist and business person, Doug has the lived experience and technical skills you need to work anything through.
Doug is a practising barrister, a nationally accredited mediator, trained conciliator, and experienced company director, public administrator and facilitator. He is highly regarded for his ability to talk with and listen to anyone and everyone with respect, and for getting to the real issues in dispute no matter how messy things might seem.
Our Values
What does North East Dispute Resolution stand for?
Honesty – We will do what we say we will do. If we are not the right fit for you, we will tell you.
Trust – We will earn and honour your trust.
Authenticity – We will treat you as if you, and your particular challenge, matter. You do. If it matters to you it matters to us.
Flexibility – We will talk to you about how we can help. If that means we have to come to you or do something differently, we will.
Clarity – We will quote. If we need to vary that quote, we will talk to you about it first.
Why choose us?
Industry Experience - Doug has been a lawyer, agricultural and resources economist, company director, business person and senior public administrator for more than 25 years. Before that he was a tradesman running his own and other peoples’ horticultural businesses. He gets your issues. He has probably had to think about them before.
But after a well lived life Doug has worked out he is more interested in fixing things than fighting about them. Now, for him, making sure that your issues are treated seriously and given every chance to resolve is the real challenge.
He has deep experience in the law, commerce, agriculture and in facilitation. You can get the benefit of all of that. All it will cost you is the time to make the call and the commitment to deal with your stuff.
What others say about NEDR
I was counsel in two recent mediations where Doug Shirrefs was mediator and both disputes were resolved. One dispute concerned contaminated stock feed and the other a shareholder dispute involving the valuation of shares and complex inter personal differences.
As a mediator, experienced barrister, economist, corporate leader and by his people skills, Doug assisted the parties to reach resolution in a calm, structured but relaxed way. He listened. His input was measured and insightful without being forceful. I will continue to provide Doug’s name (amongst others) as a preferred mediator in commercial disputes and in particular, agribusiness disputes.
Margo Harris | Barrister, Mediator, Fellow UNCCA
I strongly recommend Douglas Shirrefs as a mediator.
It is my experience of Douglas as a mediator that he has the combination of requisite skills necessary to assist parties resolve their disputes in a structured, respectful and timely manner. These skills are not only legal but include interpersonal, commercial and practical ones that Douglas acquired over many years in industry before embarking on a career in the law and being called to the bar.
Brian J. McCullagh | Barrister, Owen Dixon Chambers West
