KAREN ERWIN

Founder and Principal of Erwin Mediation Services

Karen Erwin is a qualified solicitor, professional mediator and facilitator, specialising in conflict resolution with an emphasis on Workplace, Employment and Commercial mediation. Over 80% of Karen’s cases come from repeat business from satisfied clients or by way of personal recommendation. She also has an expertise in facilitating partnership, board, shareholder and group disputes as well as in more personal disputes such as inheritance and separation of assets. Her practice is both national and international. You can download a hard copy of Karen Erwin’s credentials here.

Karen has a lot of experience of workplace disputes involving employees and management and more frequently these disputes now involve intercultural issues. The majority of issues that present at workplace mediation are related to alleged bullying and harassment and work performance.

Two areas in which Karen specialises are conflict coaching ( assisting individual parties in relation to conflict) and succession planning for family businesses.

Conflict resolution is not just about conflict – it requires helping parties to work collaboratively together focussing on the future – EMS provides support services such as training, coaching and facilitation to help parties to move on, to change and to work together.

Karen’ s extensive career as a commercial litigation and employment partner for 15 years in A&L Goodbody Solicitors first established her impressive dispute-resolution skills.

She was then first woman executive director of The Irish Times and over eight years enhanced her skill set with practical management and business experience.

In addition to extensive formal training and accreditations as a mediator, Karen’s skills in achieving collaboration and consensus and her business acumen have been recognised in her public appointments as chairperson of the Equality Authority and chairperson of The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority. Further acknowledgement of her talents is evident by the number of organisations of which Karen is or has been president or chairperson including one of her current appointments as Chairperson of The Forum of Chairpersons of State Funded Bodies.

Karen’s commitment to mediation led her to establish her own firm, Erwin Mediation Services, and to become a professional mediator and facilitator. She is the immediate Past President of TheMediators’ Institute of Ireland – a role that she held for 7 years. Karen is also a past council member of the Irish Commercial Mediation Association.

Her training, skills, background and commitment ensure Karen’s status as a leading practitioner of mediation in Ireland.

To download Karen’s credentials  click here.

Mediation Appointments

• 2004 – Present    Founder and Principal Erwin Mediation Services
• 2015 – Present     Founder and Principal Erwin Bouchier Professional Services
• 2005 – 2012         President The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland
• 2005 – Present    Accredited Mediator, International Mediation Institute
• 2004 – Present    Practitioner Member of the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland
• 2004 – 2006        Committee Member The Irish Commercial Mediators Association
• 2004 – Present    Member, The Irish Commercial Mediators Association
• 1976 – Present     Solicitor, The Law Society of Ireland
• 2017 – Present     Member of the Employment Law Association

 Mediation Qualifications and Accreditations

• 1972   MA, Trinity College, University of Dublin
• 1976   Solicitor, The Law Society of Ireland
• 2004  Accredited Mediator, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
• 2004  Accredited Mediator, ADR Group
• 2005   Diploma in Mediation Studies, University College Dublin
• 2007   Accredited Conflict Coach, Cinnie Noble
• 2008   Family Consultant in Collaborative Law – Dublin Practice Group for Collaborative Practitioners
• 2010   32 Hour Separating Couples, The Mediators institute of Ireland
• 2011   Accredited Supervisor PML Ltd.
• 2012   Elder Mediation International Certifcation, Elder Mediation International   Network
• 2015   Understanding Dementia – University of Tasmania – Distance Learning
• 2017   Train the Trainer – The Open College

Continuous Professional Development 2017/18

• Feb 22          Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Jan 22          Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Dec 21           Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Nov 21           Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Nov 21           A&L Goodbody annual review
• Oct 21            Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Sept 21          Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• July 21           Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• June 21          Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• June 21          Matheson Health and Safety
• May 21           Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• May 21           PWC webinar Charities
• April 21          PWC workforce and online challenges
• April 21          Maynooth University Resilient and sustainability
• April 21          Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• April 21          Matheson Employment review
• March 21       Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• March 21       Mediators breakfast London
• March 21       Hayes solicitors Data Protection
• March 21       Dementia seminar
• Feb 21            Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Feb 21            A&L Goodbody contract updates
• Jan 21            Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Dec 20           Arthur Cox Privilege
• Dec 20           Delivery of Mandatory Code of Ethics and Practice training
• Dec 20           Hayes GDPR
• Dec 20           Charities Regulator training
• Dec 20           Michael Laing
• Dec 20           A&L Goodbody Annual Legal Developments
• Feb 18            Delivered MII Code of Ethics & Practice Training for the Mediators’ Institute as a   mandatory course
• Feb 18            Delivered Mediation Act 2017 Training for Mediators as Erwin Bouchier Professional Services
• Jan 18            Sharing & Learning – Chairperson- Further education and reflection for  mediators
• Dec 17            Delivered CPD training for the Society Chartered Surveyors in Ireland
• Dec 17            Delivered MII Code of Ethics & Practice training for  the Mediators’ Institute as a mandatory course
• Nov 17            Mediation Conference  Attendee  A&L Goodbody
• Nov 17            Delivered MII Code of Ethics & Practice training for the  Mediators’ Institute as a mandatory course
• Nov 17            Sharing & Learning  – Chairperson  Further education and reflection for  Mediators
• Nov 17            Investigators Network – Chairperson -Sharing and learning group for  Investigators
• Oct 17             MII Annual Conference-  Attendee  Annual Mediation Conference
• Sep 17            Investigators Network –  Chairperson –   Sharing and learning group for  Investigators
• Jun 17            Sharing & Learning –  Chairperson -Further education and reflection for Mediators
• April 17          Train the Trainer –  Trainee  The Open College  Passed with   distinction
• March 17       Sharing & Learning –  Chairperson –  Further education and reflection for Mediators
• Feb 17            Understanding the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015  – Attendee -UCD
• Feb 17            Unconscious Bias – Attendee – University of Ulster
• Feb 17            Sharing & Learning – Chairperson – Further education and reflection for  Mediators
• Feb 17            Delivered MII Code of Ethics & Practice training for the Mediators’ Institute as a mandatory course

Public Sector (previous positions held)

• The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority — Government-appointed Chairperson.
• The Chairpersons’ Forum (for Chairpersons of State Bodies) — Elected Chairperson
• Co – Chairperson of the North – South Chairpersons’ of State Funded Bodies
• The Equality Authority of Ireland – Chairperson

Private Sector Experience

• 1980 – 1994        Partner, A&L Goodbody
• 1994 – 2004        Executive Director, The Irish Times Ltd.
• 2004 – Present   Founder and Principal Erwin Mediation Services Ltd.
• 2013 – 2016         Chairperson Ganly Walters Ltd
• 2015 – Present    Founder and Principal Erwin Bouchier Professional Services

Voluntary Sector

• St Columba’s College (Co-Educational Secondary Boarding school) — Fellow (Trustee); member Pensions Committee. Immediate past Chairperson of the Board of Management;
• University of Ulster – Member of the governance subcommittee of the nominations committee.
• International Women’s Forum Ireland – Past President – Executive and membership committee
• International Women’s Forum – Official Mentor
• International Women’s Forum – International Board Member
• The IWF Leadership Foundation – International Board Member
• Dublinia Ltd – Director
• Director – The Irish Heart Foundation