Two-day process to take place between 14 September and 4 October

Gavel

Arthur J Gallagher and the three executives it is suing will enter a two-day pre-trial mediation this autumn.

The mediation will give the parties the opportunity to settle their differences before the trial.

Gallagher is suing former Gallagher International chief executive David Ross, former Gallagher International chief financial officer Mark Mugge and mergers and acquisitions adviser Christopher Keey.

The broker has accused the trio of diverting acquisition opportunities away from Gallagher and orchestrating the departure of a group of senior executives. All three deny Gallagher’s claims.

Court documents reveal that the judge in the case, Justice Edis, has ordered that the confidential mediation takes place between 14 September and 4 October this year.

The 25-day trial is now scheduled for 1 February next year. It was originally due to begin between 13 and 17 July this year.

Under the schedule outlined by Justice Edis, Gallagher was due to propose a list of three mediators by 16 June.

Ross, Mugge and Keey then had until 23 June to either choose one of the three proposed mediators, or propose three alternatives.

If no agreement over the mediators could be reached by 30 June, the parties had to jointly request that a mediator be appointed by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.

It is not clear which option the parties have gone for, as they are unable to comment on this part of the process.