About Us

Cogent Mediation is headed by two partners, Lou Gedney and Clare Higgins. Both Lou and Clare are accredited Civil and Commercial mediators, London School of Mediation, and are registered as Individual Mediators with the Civil Mediation Council.

Lou (left) worked in the City of London for ten years in fund management before taking a career break to have her two children. She trained as a mediator in 2013 with Maidstone Mediation (which has operated for over 25 years) and joined West Kent Mediation at the end of that year. Since then she has dealt with a broad scope of mediations including neighbourhood and community mediations, family, parent and teen, workplace and she has dealt with mediations in schools. Lou continues to work as a volunteer mediator for both charities.

Clare (right) joined a City law firm in 1985, qualifying as a solicitor in 1987. She practised company and commercial law until leaving the City in 2001 to bring up her children. She is active in local clubs and societies and is also a governor of a school in Surrey. She trained as a mediator with Maidstone Mediation in 2014 and like Lou, has helped in a variety of fields since then. Clare continues to act as volunteer mediator for West Kent Mediation.

Lou and Clare are currently spearheading a pilot project with West Kent Mediation aimed at promoting mediation to resolve disputes in their local schools.

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