Home – Samvad Mediation Centre, Lucknow

About Mediation

Mediation is a voluntary and confidential form of out-of-court conflict resolution. It is defined under The Mediation Act, 2023 as a process in which parties attempt to reach an amicable settlement of their dispute with the assistance of a neutral third person known as a mediator. It saves time, money and energy for the parties that they would otherwise exhaust in a legal case and has emerged as the most logical method of dispute resolution over the period. The former US Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger once said

The notion that ordinary people want black-robed judges, well dressed lawyers and fine courtrooms as settings to resolve their disputes is incorrect. People with problems, like people with pain, want relief, and they want it as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

Mediation offers just that and also creates avenues for future collaborations between conflicting parties.

The settlement agreement reached by parties through mediation is proposed to be considered equal to the judgment or decree of a court along with being enforceable under Section 27 of The Mediation Act.

About SMC

We are a conflict resolution firm, registered with the Union MSME Ministry, Government of India with a vision to take the benefits of mediation to all and train future mediators. Our conflict management experts are internationally qualified and highly skilled in diverse areas of dispute resolution. SMC envisions creating peaceful and inclusive societies and assisting in providing access to affordable, meaningful and speedy justice for all as per SDG 16.

We offer settlement services in areas like intellectual property, consumer matters, small causes and family disputes. We also help clients devise pre-litigation strategies to best serve their interests and goals. Currently, the operations of SMC are led by Ms. Saleha Nizam, a trained mediator and researcher in the field of English Literature. She believes that mediation is a life skill and its advantage should be availed by all regardless of their socio-economic or educational background.

SMC-Mediation Program Trainers

Mr. K.S.Sarma (Senior Faculty)

• Faculty, Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation
• IIAM Accredited Mediator, Mediation Advocate and Certified Commercial Arbitrator
• Senior Executive Educator & Collaboration Coach

Dr. Mohammad Umar (Chief Consultant and Lead Faculty)

• Qualified by International Mediation Institute (Netherlands)
• Accredited by Singapore International Mediation Institute
• Certificate in Mediation and Negotiation from Harvard University and Yale University, USA.
• Ph.D., Centre for International Legal Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.