At Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, our Exeter Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) team supports individuals and businesses across Exeter, Devon, and the wider South West in resolving disputes efficiently, commercially, and with discretion. While traditional litigation offers clear procedural safeguards and authoritative outcomes, it can also be time-consuming, costly, and adversarial. In many cases, clients prefer a more pragmatic route that prioritises solutions over prolonged legal argument.
Alternative Dispute Resolution provides a flexible and commercially sensible approach to resolving disputes outside the court process. ADR methods, particularly mediation, allow parties to engage constructively, explore creative solutions, and retain control over both the process and the outcome. This approach is especially valuable where ongoing business relationships, reputational considerations, or confidentiality are important.
Mediation is often quicker and significantly less expensive than court proceedings, while offering a confidential forum in which parties can address both legal and commercial concerns. It enables open discussion without the constraints of formal pleadings or procedural rigidity and often results in outcomes that would not be available through litigation alone. Our Exeter team regularly advises on whether mediation or another form of ADR is appropriate at an early stage of a dispute, as well as during ongoing proceedings where settlement opportunities arise.
We provide commercial mediation services to clients locally from our Exeter office, as well as nationally and internationally through the firm’s wider network, including London and Manchester. Mediations can be arranged at our clients’ premises, at a neutral venue, or remotely where appropriate, offering flexibility to suit the nature of the dispute and the needs of the parties involved.
Our ADR team draws on extensive litigation experience across a broad range of practice areas, including commercial disputes, insolvency, professional negligence, energy and utilities, shareholder and partnership disputes, and regulatory matters. This background enables us to identify the true drivers of a dispute, assess risk realistically, and focus negotiations on achieving workable, durable settlements rather than short-term compromises.
The firm has two accredited mediators: Rudi Ramdarshan, a Leading Individual, and Ben Frost, a Recommended Lawyer. Both bring significant litigation and mediation experience, allowing them to manage complex, high-value disputes with authority, impartiality, and commercial awareness. Their practical understanding of litigation strategy often helps parties bridge entrenched positions and reach resolution where negotiations have previously stalled.
Whether acting as mediators or representing clients within ADR processes, our Exeter team adopts a structured yet flexible approach. We work collaboratively with parties and their advisers, focusing on early issue identification, realistic outcome assessment, and proportionate dispute resolution. This ensures that ADR is not treated as a procedural formality, but as a meaningful opportunity to resolve disputes efficiently while protecting commercial interests.
Alternative Dispute Resolution forms an integral part of our Exeter dispute resolution offering, complementing our litigation expertise and providing clients with a full spectrum of options to resolve disputes strategically, discreetly, and effectively.
