We invite you to join our petition nominating Michael Leathes for the Jim Henry CPR award.
CPR, the Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution, created the award in 2002 in honour of its founder, Jim Henry. The award recognizes outstanding achievements by individuals for their distinguished, sustained contributions to the field of ADR, based on their leadership, innovation, and enduring commitment.
Michael Leathes’ professional career is synonymous with the development of ADR around the world in the past half century. He played a key role in advancing mediation worldwide, bringing international ADR organisations together, influencing legal reforms, facilitating access to mediation for users, and mentoring future ADR professionals. His thought leadership within CPR included founding and co-chairing CPR's European Advisory Committee, producing educational resources for early case evaluation, the appointment of mediators, and setting flexible and culturally-adaptable and universally accepted standards for mediation accreditation based on assessed knowledge, skills and experience. Michael notably founded the International Mediation Institute (IMI), which set global standards for mediator certification, and helped establish several influential initiatives that shaped ADR practices from a user-centric perspective. His work extended to advising governments and creating other pioneering institutions and programs that continue to promote effective dispute resolution globally. This nomination seeks to honour Michael’s enduring legacy of innovation, justice, and commitment to advancing ADR.
For more information about Michael, see: https://imimediation.org/michael-leathes/.
To read the full nomination letter sent to CPR, please click here.
Many thanks,
Michael McIlwrath (Italy)
Ivana Ninčić (Austria)
Mark Appel (United Kingdom)
Wolf von Kumberg (United Kingdom)
Jeremy Lack (Switzerland)
George Lim (Singapore)
Deborah Massuci (USA)
Ute Quinn (USA)
Manon Schonewille (Netherlands)
Updates
October 31, 2024
The stories about Michael you are sharing in the comments are powerful. I am currently compiling these tributes to include with the final nomination.
19 Comments
If there is one person who deserves this award, it is Michael Leathes. He facilitated the acceptance of mediation as an accepted DR method, and the IMI he founded is a leading Insteon the field. His warm and inclusive personality was a distinct plus, in this field where there are so many big egos.
Very happy to support this - Michael’s vision for ADR within corporates was impactful at many levels and helped shift many stakeholders. He leaves a lasting legacy.
It was an honour to have worked with Michael over the years. He is missed.
Dear Colleagues, I knew Michale Leathes for many years. We served together on the IMI Board for two terms and we made a productive pair. His vision to tap into the private sector to professionalize the practice of mediation was critical during these transition years of our profession. Providing accreditation of professionals and training institutions - as well as a platform for professional feedback and betterment - was transformative. His championing the Singapore Convention was longstanding as well. He and I then worked for a year re-establishing the Pound Conference in London - bringing in our networks of colleagues to form a working group - and it was a huge success, with every aspect influenced by Michael's passionate commitment and infectious enthusiasm to our work as Mediation champions. Michael was also active behind the scenes, mentoring and engaging with a wide range of practitioners around the globe. His unshakeable loyalty and invariable kindnesses were legion and impactful - across many cultures and jurisdiction even industry groups. He made a great impact - and was always setting a high bar for collegiality and self deprecation - all of which mark him as a worthy recipient of the Jim Henry Award. I respected, liked and benefitted from this gentleman's life's work post private sector - and so did countless others, and his legacy lives on in his impactful contributions to our ADR Sector. There are other worthy recipients - but few mores than Michael Leathes. Please feel free to contact me if you wish further information about our late and much missed colleague. Respectfully submitted, JAMES MacPHERSON * International ADR Practitioner since 1993 CoFounder & International Mediator, Gulf Mediation CoFounder & Managing Partner, IDRS * CoFounder & Special Counsel, SCCA * CoFounder & Court Member, OAC CoFounder & Member, OIC-AC * CoFounder & Former CEO, BCDR * Former Board Member, IMI
Michael was a truly inspiring person, who taught me the right way to resolve conflicts between businesses. He would be a worthy recipient of the Jim Henry CPR award.
I can't think of a better nominee for the CPR Jim Henry Award. Michael will always be a visionary, a connected and one of the founding fathers of modern ADR.
Michael was a pioneer in the field of mediation and I wholeheartedly support his recognition
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
We invite you to join our petition nominating Michael Leathes for the Jim Henry CPR award.
CPR, the Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution, created the award in 2002 in honour of its founder, Jim Henry. The award recognizes outstanding achievements by individuals for their distinguished, sustained contributions to the field of ADR, based on their leadership, innovation, and enduring commitment.
Michael Leathes’ professional career is synonymous with the development of ADR around the world in the past half century. He played a key role in advancing mediation worldwide, bringing international ADR organisations together, influencing legal reforms, facilitating access to mediation for users, and mentoring future ADR professionals. His thought leadership within CPR included founding and co-chairing CPR's European Advisory Committee, producing educational resources for early case evaluation, the appointment of mediators, and setting flexible and culturally-adaptable and universally accepted standards for mediation accreditation based on assessed knowledge, skills and experience. Michael notably founded the International Mediation Institute (IMI), which set global standards for mediator certification, and helped establish several influential initiatives that shaped ADR practices from a user-centric perspective. His work extended to advising governments and creating other pioneering institutions and programs that continue to promote effective dispute resolution globally. This nomination seeks to honour Michael’s enduring legacy of innovation, justice, and commitment to advancing ADR.
For more information about Michael, see: https://imimediation.org/michael-leathes/.
To read the full nomination letter sent to CPR, please click here.
Many thanks,
Michael McIlwrath (Italy)
Ivana Ninčić (Austria)
Mark Appel (United Kingdom)
Wolf von Kumberg (United Kingdom)
Jeremy Lack (Switzerland)
George Lim (Singapore)
Deborah Massuci (USA)
Ute Quinn (USA)
Manon Schonewille (Netherlands)
Updates
October 31, 2024
The stories about Michael you are sharing in the comments are powerful. I am currently compiling these tributes to include with the final nomination.
19 Comments
A great human being. He saw mediation as a human enterprise in a very dehumanised world.
If there is one person who deserves this award, it is Michael Leathes. He facilitated the acceptance of mediation as an accepted DR method, and the IMI he founded is a leading Insteon the field. His warm and inclusive personality was a distinct plus, in this field where there are so many big egos.
Very happy to support this - Michael’s vision for ADR within corporates was impactful at many levels and helped shift many stakeholders. He leaves a lasting legacy.
It was an honour to have worked with Michael over the years. He is missed.
Dear Colleagues, I knew Michale Leathes for many years. We served together on the IMI Board for two terms and we made a productive pair. His vision to tap into the private sector to professionalize the practice of mediation was critical during these transition years of our profession. Providing accreditation of professionals and training institutions - as well as a platform for professional feedback and betterment - was transformative. His championing the Singapore Convention was longstanding as well. He and I then worked for a year re-establishing the Pound Conference in London - bringing in our networks of colleagues to form a working group - and it was a huge success, with every aspect influenced by Michael's passionate commitment and infectious enthusiasm to our work as Mediation champions. Michael was also active behind the scenes, mentoring and engaging with a wide range of practitioners around the globe. His unshakeable loyalty and invariable kindnesses were legion and impactful - across many cultures and jurisdiction even industry groups. He made a great impact - and was always setting a high bar for collegiality and self deprecation - all of which mark him as a worthy recipient of the Jim Henry Award. I respected, liked and benefitted from this gentleman's life's work post private sector - and so did countless others, and his legacy lives on in his impactful contributions to our ADR Sector. There are other worthy recipients - but few mores than Michael Leathes. Please feel free to contact me if you wish further information about our late and much missed colleague. Respectfully submitted, JAMES MacPHERSON * International ADR Practitioner since 1993 CoFounder & International Mediator, Gulf Mediation CoFounder & Managing Partner, IDRS * CoFounder & Special Counsel, SCCA * CoFounder & Court Member, OAC CoFounder & Member, OIC-AC * CoFounder & Former CEO, BCDR * Former Board Member, IMI
Michael was a truly inspiring person, who taught me the right way to resolve conflicts between businesses. He would be a worthy recipient of the Jim Henry CPR award.
I can't think of a better nominee for the CPR Jim Henry Award. Michael will always be a visionary, a connected and one of the founding fathers of modern ADR.
Michael was a pioneer in the field of mediation and I wholeheartedly support his recognition
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 50 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
A great human being. He saw mediation as a human enterprise in a very dehumanised world.