About

I am a private mediator. I work where the matter warrants a careful neutral.

Portrait of Spenser Bauchman, mediator.

My practice is preparation-led. Every engagement begins before the parties sit down.

I serve as a neutral in commercial, family, estate, workplace, and board matters. The work is principally mediation. Where parties prefer a binding result, I sit as arbitrator. Where the matter requires it, I serve as a special master, settlement counsel, or neutral evaluator.

The clients I work with most often are senior counsel, general counsel, family-office principals, executors, and board chairs. They tend to share two things: a matter that warrants careful handling, and an interest in keeping the result theirs to author.

I read every brief that comes in and take a pre-mediation call with each side’s counsel; by the time parties convene, the working theory is on the page. The day itself is unglamorous in the best way: short opening, sustained caucus, careful drafting, and a term sheet signed before anyone leaves the room.

The file does not close at five o’clock. If a deal is not reached, I remain engaged for follow-up calls and a mediator’s proposal where appropriate. If a deal is reached, I stay available through the long-form drafting window.

Credentials

Admissions, panels, and affiliations.

The list below is curated rather than exhaustive. Detailed CV, panel memberships, and selected matters are available on request.

  • Designation Q.Med
  • Practice areas Commercial, contract, family, estates and trusts, workplace, and board and governance.
  • Languages English
  • Format International matters by arrangement.

Approach

Five working principles.

  1. Prepare before the room.

    Briefs are read in advance. Pre-mediation calls are taken with each side’s counsel. By the time parties convene, the working theory is on the page.

  2. Listen first.

    Senior neutrals do less speech-making and more listening. The first hour is for understanding what each side actually needs.

  3. Hold caucus information carefully.

    What is told to me in caucus stays in caucus. Authority to share is requested explicitly, never assumed.

  4. Draft before parties leave.

    A signed term sheet on the day of mediation is the durable form of agreement. Long-form drafting follows in the week after.

  5. Stay available afterward.

    Where settlement is not reached on the day, I remain available for follow-up, a mediator’s proposal, and reconvening where useful.

Considering a referral or an engagement?

Send a brief description of the matter, the parties involved, and any date sensitivity. I run a conflict check before substantive response.