Hans Van Gompel recently obtained his certification as a collaborative negotiator.
Collaborative negotiations are a voluntary and confidential method for dispute resolution by means of negotiation in which both conflicted parties and their respective lawyers are actively involved. Its legislative framework can be found in part VIII of the Belgian Judicial Code.
With the assistance of participating lawyers, parties identify and use their respective needs and interests to explore the possibility of an amicable dispute settlement. These negotiations are strictly confidential.
Furthermore, the supporting lawyers act under an exclusive and limited mandate of assistance only in order to reach an amicable agreement. If no settlement is reached, the collaborative lawyers must withdraw and cannot represent their respective clients in an ensuing court case.
Note that only certified collaborative lawyers can use this method. This certification can only be obtained after completing specific training. Recently, Hans Van Gompel received this accreditation. In doing so, he is further expanding his skills as a conflict manager.
On a day-to-day basis, Hans mainly deals with managing commercial conflicts. Next to being an experienced litigator and negotiator, he is regularly appointed as an arbitrator and mediator. Finally, he is also the driving force behind the VGA Academy for Commercial Conflict Management.