Mediation provides an attractive alternative to resolving disputes through court proceedings. Mediation promises just results in the interest of all parties concerned, a reduction of the court caseload, and cost savings for the parties involved as well as for the treasury. The European Directive on Mediation has given mediation in Europe new momentum by establishing a common framework for cross-border mediation. Beyond Europe, many states have tried in recent years to answer the question whether, and if so, how mediation should be regulated at a national and international level. The aim of this book is to promote the understanding and discussion of regulatory issues by presenting comparative research on mediation. It describes and analyses the law and practice of mediation in twenty-two countries. Europe is represented by chapters on mediation in Austria, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The world beyond Europe is analysed in chapters on mediation in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland and the USA. Against this background, further chapters on fundamental issues identify possible regulatory models and discuss central principles of mediation law and practice. In particular, the work considers harmonisation and diversity in the law of mediation as well as the economic and constitutional problems associated with privatising civil justice. To the extent available, empirical research is used as a point of reference in the critical analysis.

The Federal Judicial Center survey of mediation participants.

This edited volume is based on the European Law Institute's project, The Rescue of Business in Insolvency Law, which ran from 2013 to 2016. The project sought to investigate and articulate the essential features of well-functioning procedures for the "rescue" of distressed but viable businesses. Although the focus was primarily on the design and implementation of formal procedures (that is, those provided by law), the project also required consideration of the interaction between such procedures and informal solutions to distress, given the obvious cost advantages of the latter. The ELI project was not confined exclusively to restructurings, since these are only one possible route to maximising the value of a distressed but viable business (an auction procedure, in which the business is sold on a going concern basis to a new owner, is one obvious alternative). The ELI project encompasses various aspects of both public/constitutional law and insolvency law that may have a bearing on the functionality of formal restructuring procedures.

Cross-border insolvency protocols play a critical role in facilitating the efficient resolution of complex international corporate insolvencies. This book constitutes the first in-depth study of the use of insolvency protocols, enriching existing knowledge about them and serving as a comprehensive introduction to their application in the context of multinational enterprise group insolvency. It traces the rise of insolvency protocols and discusses their legal basis, contents, effects, major characteristics and limitations.

"Assignments for the benefit of creditors--or "ABCs"--Have evolved from small cases with claims of under $1 million to the dot-com implosion and now into a much more commonplace tool used for the expedited sales of assets, similar to [section] 363 sales under the Bankruptcy Code. The underlying principle, however, remains the same: using a neutral fiduciary to marshal, inventory and liquidate a debtor's assets in a manner that should maximize value for stakeholders. State legislatures across the country are reviewing and in many instances revising their laws governing ABCs and receiverships. Coupled with the increased use of Delaware Courts of Chancery for ABC cases, there has been an increase in court decisions about ABCs. This Fifth Edition of General Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors: The ABCs of ABCs addresses these changes and issues for insolvency practitioners to be knowledgeable about when considering the use of the ABC alternative"--Publisher's website