A Practical Guideline to Resolving Commercial Disputes
When a commercial dispute threatens to derail an important business relationship, litigation and arbitration aren’t always the best first move. ICC Mediation, administered by the ICC International Centre for ADR, offers a flexible, confidential, and cost-effective alternative — one where the parties, not a judge or arbitrator, control the outcome.
This page includes a free, downloadable guideline that walks through everything you need to know about mediating a dispute under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
What You’ll Find in the Guideline
Our ICC Mediation Guideline distills the official ICC Mediation Rules, model clauses, and procedural guidance into one practical reference document. Inside, you’ll learn:
- How ICC Mediation works — the core principles of party-controlled, confidential settlement negotiations
- The ICC Mediation Rules explained, article by article, including commencement, mediator selection, confidentiality, and termination
- Filing fees and administrative costs, with the current ICC fee scale
- The four official ICC model mediation clauses, compared side by side, so you can choose the right wording for your contracts
- A step-by-step breakdown of the mediation procedure, from filing a Request for Mediation to signing a settlement agreement
- A practical checklist to help you prepare before initiating or agreeing to mediate
Who This Guideline Is For
Whether you’re in-house counsel drafting a dispute resolution clause, a business owner facing a cross-border contract dispute, or a legal professional advising clients on alternative dispute resolution (ADR), this guideline gives you a clear, structured overview without needing to dig through lengthy institutional rules and web pages.
Why Consider ICC Mediation?
Mediation is particularly valuable when parties want to preserve an ongoing commercial relationship — such as a joint venture or long-term supply agreement — while still resolving a genuine dispute. It’s faster than arbitration or litigation in most cases, fully confidential, and results in a binding settlement agreement shaped by the parties themselves rather than imposed on them.
Download the guideline above to get the full picture of ICC Mediation Rules, clauses, costs, and procedure in one place.