Olivia Van Der Werff

Olivia is an expert in all contract/commercial disputes but has particular experience in the issues facing SME businesses. She holds a comprehensive understanding of the broadcast industry.

Olivia also has a particular understanding of the issues facing neurodiverse parties and in being mindful of the mental health implications of unresolved disputes.

Olivia is able to help in matters relating to:

• Contracts
• Business disputes
• Broadcast and media industries
• Health and safety
• Professional negligence
• Franchises
• Freelancers
• Workplace
• Joint Venture
• Insolvency
• Mental health
• Neurodiversity
• Disputes between family members including parents/ offspring and siblings

• Thorough preparation
• Warm and engaging approach
• Strong commercial awareness
• Pragmatic
• User friendly
• Manages high conflict
• Tenacious
• Commercially astute
• Empathetic approach to needs/motives
• Focus on real issues
• Proactive on options
• Facilitates solutions
• Understanding of mental health implications of disputes and how to help neurodiverse people in high conflict situations.

Olivia was admitted in 2000 and practised in Bristol before becoming the first solicitor to dual qualify in health and safety in the UK. Subsequently, she left private practice and established and grew a national health and safety consultancy through a franchise model before selling the company to an AIM Listed PLC in 2004.

Since then, she has run a consultancy that provides dispute resolution, safety and fairness advice. Olivia is the industry leader in ensuring fair play and proper representation for contestants in tv gameshows. She is generally accredited as having been the creator and instigator of fair practice systems now adopted throughout the broadcast media industry and recognised as industry standard.

• Chartered Member of IOSH
• Associate Member of BAFTA
• Registered Mediator with the Civil Mediation Council
• Law Society