William Wood QC, chairman of the Civil Justice Council’s working group on alternative dispute resolution (ADR), voted Mediator of the Year in 2018, addressed guests of The Hewitsons College of Dispute Resolution & Litigation lawyers (The College) at their recent reception at Law Society Hall; an event to promote ADR and which coincided with Mediation Awareness Week.Bill Wood, who is ranked number one Mediation Silk 2019 in WWL’s UK Bar Guide, was speaking to an audience drawn from a wide variety of fields of interest in disputes and litigation work, including counsel, leading mediators, representatives of the litigation finance industry, insolvency practitioners and other professionals. The CJC working group’s recent final report on ADR was his topic.He said: “I was delighted to attend and address the evening reception, the first of its kind hosted by the Hewitsons College, and to network with mediators and other professional people with an interest in ADR. It was especially apt that the event took place in Mediation Awareness Week.I applaud Hewitsons for this initiative – bringing their fraternity of specialist disputes and litigation lawyers together with other recognised experts and interested parties in the sector to draw attention to the value of ADR.Partner at Hewitsons, Dominic Hopkins, the figurehead of The College, said:  “The Hewitsons College of Dispute Resolution and Litigation practitioners is a place of collaboration, learning and thought leadership and provides a forum for the development of common specialist tools and systems that will equip the firm to build on its reputation for delivering excellence in the disputes and litigation services it provides to clients.The establishment of The College reflects the firm’s reputation as a leading dispute resolution and litigation firm and its commitment to continuous improvement and absolute client focus in all dimensions of the disciplines."