CIMN — An initiative of Mediation Chambers
Mediation for Creative Industry Disputes
CIMN provides structured, confidential mediation for disputes arising across the creative industries — including founder disagreements, rights conflicts, management and representation issues, production tensions, and collaboration breakdowns.
About CIMN
A Specialist Mediation Forum for the Creative Industries
The Creative Industries Mediation Network (CIMN) is a specialist initiative of Mediation Chambers focused on mediation in the creative industries. It exists to provide a more sector-specific route into mediation for disputes where commercial issues, working relationships, rights questions and reputational pressures often overlap.
Creative-sector disputes are rarely only about formal legal positions. They often involve collaboration histories, shared authorship, informal working arrangements, blurred decision-making, management tensions, or disagreement about ownership, contribution, direction or credit.
CIMN applies the same independent, confidential and professionally structured mediation framework used across Mediation Chambers, while bringing more specific understanding to the commercial and relational realities of creative work.
Why Mediation Often Fits Creative Disputes
- Creative disputes often sit inside ongoing professional relationships
- Confidentiality matters where profile, reputation and future work are at stake
- Formal legal action may narrow a dispute that is actually wider than the contract
- Mediation allows commercial, relational and practical issues to be addressed together
An initiative of Mediation Chambers
CIMN sits within Mediation Chambers and applies the same independent, confidential mediation framework, with more specific sector framing for creative-industry disputes.
Dispute Types
The Kinds of Disputes CIMN Handles
These examples illustrate the kinds of disputes for which CIMN may be relevant. The categories are not exhaustive, and many matters involve overlap between commercial, relational and rights-based issues.
Founder & Creative Partner Disputes
Where founders or creative partners disagree over direction, control, contribution, investment, ownership, role boundaries or exit.
Rights & IP Disputes
Disputes involving authorship, ownership, licensing, use of creative work, contribution, approval rights, credit or exploitation.
Management & Talent Tensions
Disagreements involving managers, agents, representatives, producers or lead collaborators, including breakdowns in trust, authority or communication.
Production & Collaboration Breakdowns
Conflict arising in the course of creative delivery — including co-production tensions, stalled projects, blurred responsibilities, and disputes over process, input or final output.
Agency & Client Conflicts
Disputes between agencies and clients over brief, approvals, creative direction, fees, delivery, expectations or ownership of deliverables.
Not Sure Whether Your Dispute Fits?
If your matter does not sit neatly within one category, an initial consultation can help identify whether mediation may still be appropriate.
Who It Is For
CIMN is designed for people working across the creative industries
Founders & Creative Business Partners
Arts Organisations & Cultural Bodies
Producers & Project Leads
Managers, Agents & Representatives
Media, Content & Creative Businesses
Creative Professionals & Leadership Teams
How It Works
The Mediation Process
CIMN follows the same independent, confidential mediation framework used across Mediation Chambers, adapted to the realities of creative-sector disputes.
Initial Consultation
A brief, confidential discussion to understand the issue and whether mediation is likely to be appropriate.
Preparation
The mediator clarifies the dispute, gathers background and agrees the structure for the mediation.
Mediation Session
A structured, confidential session facilitated by an independent mediator.
Resolution
If agreement is reached, participants can record practical next steps or settlement terms.
The Panel
Mediators with Experience Relevant to Creative-Sector Disputes
CIMN draws on mediators within Mediation Chambers whose backgrounds are relevant to partnership conflict, organisational tension, professional relationship breakdown, and commercially sensitive disputes.
Raphael Kessler
Experience in commercial, organisational and partnership disputes, with a strong focus on structured resolution where working relationships and communication have broken down.
Jeremy Bevan
Background in finance and commercial business environments, relevant where creative disputes involve investment, ownership structures, partnership arrangements or commercial disagreements.
Sector Insights
Creative Industries Insight Hub
Commentary, practical explainers and sector-specific thinking on dispute resolution in the creative industries.
Browse InsightsMake an Enquiry
Make an Enquiry
A brief, confidential conversation can help clarify whether mediation may be appropriate for your situation.
Make an EnquiryOther Specialist Sector
Built Environment Mediation Network
Specialist mediation for disputes involving construction, projects, contracting and related commercial relationships.
Explore BEMNExplore Whether Mediation May Help
An initial consultation is a brief, confidential conversation to explore the mediation process and whether it may be appropriate for your situation.
CIMN is an initiative of Mediation Chambers