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Andrew C. Wood

WorkAccord
Australia
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Contact details
Phone: 0408 880 877
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About my services

I offer on-line mediation & conciliation, and consult on dispute resolution system design. Previously, 11 years as a barrister at the Tasmanian Independent Bar; more than 25 years as a solicitor (20 as a partner in a law firm); University teacher in Employment Law and Public Sector Employment Law & Policy units in LL.M. Program QUT; Accredited mediator (interest based and narrative approaches). Resolution Institute accredited conciliator. I retired from legal practice on 30 June 2019 to concentrate full time on post-law mediation and dispute resolution. "Post-law" aims to reframe conflict and build accord without recourse to law, legal rules, or legal processes. It links more to the pull of community and relationship than to the push of State and power. It finds affinity with social and community norms and professional standards rather than with tribunal processes and regulations. It is solution-focused rather than claims-focused. My mediation training was initially done with the Qld Law Society and Griffith University, where my M.Admin dissertation reviewed the mediation programme then being trialled in the AAT. Subsequent mediation training was done at Bond University, (Mediation, Negotiation, and Pacific Rim Dispute Resolution), LEADR (both in Aust and NZ) and the Hobart Narrative Centre. My Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative training was done in Adelaide. My professional interests include developing models of collaborative practice including structured negotiation and structured issue resolution) to support collective bargaining engagement and to resolve relationship-rich and high-trust business & professional disputes such as partnership, franchise and shareholder disputes, professional registration/disciplinary matters, labour supply chain & value-network participant transitions and disruptions. Specialities: Recruitment Industry Regulation; Law of work (including employment, recruitment and labour on-hire law); Privacy; Public & Corporate Governance (including competition/consumer regulation). I have designed multi-modal professional conduct grievance intervention frameworks that have been authorised on public benefit grounds by the ACCC. Special additional interests: Cultural heritage - tangible and intangible - "things that should be remembered and things that should not be forgotten".

Experience and qualifications

BA, LLB, GradDip Leg Prac, M.Admin, Grad Cert Ed (Innovative Learning Design). Over 35 years experience in law firm practice and as a barrister at the independent Bar - now as a mediator and governance consultant with WorkAccord. Pro bono representation of Uniting Church in Australia (Tasmania) in heritage case involving unsympathetic neighbouring use raising social significance grounds. Pro bono representation of Indigenous Congress (UAICC (Tas)) in transfer of UCA presbytrery powers and related disputes. 50+ evaluations and professional conduct grievance interventions conducted for RCSA since 2019 as Professional Conduct Code Advisor. Former member of Professional Conduct Review Committees in commercial/consumer grievances in both conciliation and investigation mode. Designed criteria and review methodology to operationalise Responsible Procurement Principles. Applied criteria and methodology in review of NSW Bid and Supply Arrangements proposed for the provision of payroll services for the Contingent Workforce of NSW Government Agencies Consultation (2021), PALM Scheme Deed & Guidelines Consultation (2021-22), New Zealand AoG RfT (TAS) (2022), Australian WoG "People Panel" Industry Consultation (2022). Designed Targeted Professional Education (TPE) diversion module for use in professional conduct grievance interventions.
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Accreditation summary
Conciliation Accreditation,
Resolution Institute Mediation Accreditation
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Additional dispute resolution skills
Collaborative practice, Conciliation, Dispute system design, Education & training, Facilitation, Probity advising, Dispute system design, Education & training
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Languages spoken
English
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Areas of practice
Commercial
Business to business sales, Consumer & retail, Contracts & agreements, Corporate, Franchising, Professional practice, Supply contracts, Other
Community
Clubs & social organisations, Community relations, Human rights / discrimination, Social issues
Environmental
Conservation
Organisational
Corporate, Governance, Government, Not for profit, Privacy, Probity, Religious, Other
Workplace
Discrimination & bullying & harassment, Employment contracts, Human resources, Industrial relations, Interpersonal, Management, Other