The costs, stresses and uncertainty of litigation are well known. Alternative dispute resolution, and principally mediation, offers parties to a dispute the chance to limit those costs, ameliorate some of the stresses and avoid the uncertainty of litigation by having the parties participate in a process where they have a say in reaching an acceptable resolution of a dispute.

Steven Sapountsis has commenced practice on his own, principally to provide services as a mediator to assist parties reach a mutually acceptable outcome in a private and confidential setting.

Steven Sapountsis holds the degrees of LL.B.(Hons.) and B.Ec.

Steven was admitted to practice in 1981 and is a trained mediator.

Steven builds on over 35 years of experience in private and public practice with extensive litigation and dispute resolution experience.

Steven is a qualified lawyer who has commenced practice on his own after serving as president of the Law Institute of Victoria in 2016, and following a decade of practice, and for the past few years as special counsel, with Moores (formerly Moores Legal).

Steven has held the office of General Manager of Professional Standards and manager of litigation at the Law Institute of Victoria and had been appointed as receiver of the trust property of a number of legal practices.

At Moores Legal and prior, Steven has been acted in a wide range of personal, not -for profit- and corporate litigation matters, from the routine to the complex and unusual, as well as undertaking considerable advice and representation work involving the implementation of policies and decision making by Government or semi-Government authorities and the challenge to those decisions by private clients.

In private practice, and institutional practices, Steven has handled a wide range of litigation and property matters as well as wide range legal advice matters, and has managed legal, investigative and accounting teams.

Steven has also undertaken regulatory work at high levels, including government legal policy matters and legislative interpretation and implementation.

A qualified mediator, with a commitment to the extensive use of alternative dispute resolution processes, Steven has acted for, and appeared in many mediations, for plaintiffs and defendants in all jurisdictions including, Supreme Court, Federal Court, County Court, VCAT, Magistrates’ Court, and various tribunals- including considerable experience in institutional abuse claims.

Experience has shown the benefits of, and the Civil Procedure Act 2010 (Vic) dictates, the use of dispute resolution procedures short of a court or tribunal adjudication.

While there a few matters before a Victorian court that will not be referred to a compulsory mediation before trial, there is considerable benefit in practitioners and organisations being proactive and engaging in a mediation of a dispute or disagreement soon after the dispute or disagreement is identified.

In many business disputes, the longer a dispute runs, the greater the likelihood of reputational damage to the parties and the more likely a diminution of the value of the assets in dispute.

Similar observations can be made about, for instance, family law property division, estate and trust disputes and employer/employee disputes.

Other types of dispute, such as institutional abuse claims, will require an early and sensitive resolution.

Additionally, some agreements between parties- such as franchise agreements- will require a mediation within a short time of the dispute arising- and before proceedings are issued.

Steven Sapountsis offers services as a mediator in most civil or regulatory/compliance disputes, including family law property and personal injuries matters:

• whether the mediation be held early or late in the proceeding;
• whether the mediation be before or after a proceeding is issued;
• whether the mediation be court ordered or voluntary;
• where a regulatory body is investigating or considering professional or corporate disciplinary charges; or
• where it is prudently proposed by parties who seek to amicably separate their business interests before a dispute proper arises.

In each of those cases there are benefits to engaging a mediator who has senior experience in litigated and alternative dispute resolution and can sensitively guide the parties to a settlement, or, at the least, better identify the issues that should be in dispute.

Steven Sapountsis offers services as mediator throughout Melbourne and Victoria- with regional, rural or remote attendances attracting a modest travel or accommodation allowance above the agreed daily or half-day mediation fee.

Sapountsis Legal will continue to offer the services of Steven Sapountsis as a mentor, manager or receiver in legal professional matters, and professional practice advice and guidance to legal practitioners.