IALPG is proud to unveil its newest practice area with a service offering geared towards aviation industry participants. We are now able to assist airlines or other air operators and their employees (be they flight crew or otherwise) who find themselves in workplace disputes they cannot resolve themselves.
We offer services in Australia through IALPG, a full service air and space law firm, and in the United States through IALPG USA LLC, a mediation-only company which will (until COVID-19 restrictions cease) be focusing on video conference mediation.
IALPG’s Principal and Founder, Joseph Wheeler, is a regional expert in international and domestic civil aviation law, having exclusively practised as a lawyer and policy adviser advising individuals, air operators, and other law firms in Australia and overseas for over 10 years.
Joseph has applied his specific skills in the service of aviation license holders such as pilots, and remote pilots privately, and on behalf of the members of Australian pilot associations and unions, as well as the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA, where he was the Past Vice Chair of the IFALPA Legal Committee).
Having settled some of the highest profile aviation passenger injury and death cases in modern history, including acting for claimants in the Malaysia Airlines MH 370, MH 17, and Flydubai FZ 981, air crashes, plus a variety of other disaster cases, Joseph is familiar with the emotions and range of issues that can arise within diverse aviation disputes.
In addition, Joseph is an office bearer of the HIMS Australia Advisory Group (see here) which is a not-for-profit association tasked with encouraging the development and deployment of a suitable pathway for pilots suffering from addiction disorders to regain their medical certificates and fly again.
Resolving disputes – why us?
Joseph Wheeler is a Nationally Accredited Mediator registered with the Queensland Law Society, and accordingly he subscribes to mediations conducted in accordance with the QLS, and Australian Mediator Standards Board’s National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS) Practice Standards, as well as the American Bar Association Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators.
In addition to Joseph’s legal background (Bachelor of Laws from University of Western Australia, Grad Cert in Air & Space Law from the McGill University Institute of Air & Space Law, Montreal, plus a Grad Dip of Legal Practice from the College of Law), his qualifications include a Bachelors Degree majoring in Psychology from the University of Western Australia.
He is an accomplished communicator having presented to audiences of lawyers, policy makers and aviators worldwide on topics of international aviation legal importance, as well as regularly being sought for media comment on all platforms.
His combination of technical aviation legal and policy knowledge, considerable experience advocating for and empathetically assisting clients affected adversely by and through aviation incidents and accidents, such as pilots, passengers, and their next of kin following deaths, uniquely places him to sensitively and competently assist in the expedient delivery of mediation services to the broader aviation community.
What is mediation?
Conflict occurs when people are unable to effectively communicate and resolve an issue or issues for themselves. Mediation is a process that is not about deciding who is right and who is wrong. It is about taking a situation of conflict where each person has a different perspective, and finding potential areas of common ground to ideally reach a workable resolution that each party feels is a win for them. It is a process that works well in person, but is suitable to be done remotely via videoconference.
The Mediator Standards Board describes mediation as:
…a process in which the participants, with the support of the mediator, identify issues, develop options, consider alternatives and make decisions about future actions and outcomes.
The mediator acts as a third party to support participants to reach their own decision
What do mediators do?
A mediator’s role is to encourage each party to share their views and help the parties find agreement about future workplace interactions, rather than dwell on past interactions. The mediator’s role is to lead the parties to identify what changes in their interactions and behaviours may be required to support them to work respectfully, professionally, productively and, in aviation of utmost importance, safely.
Mediation in the workplace is a voluntary process. Parties may choose not to participate or may start the process and then withdraw at any time. In addition, each party in this process is entitled to have a support person present.
If you would like to know more about our mediation services or would like to book a mediation, including remotely via videoconferencing, please email [email protected] or call us on +61 7 3040 1099.
You may also book using the button below:
