J.A.Th.M. (Jacques) de Waart

Jacques de Waart (J.A.Th.M. de Waart) is the Managing Director of De Waart Mediation & Training, which practises under the W-mediation name, and one of the Netherlands' established figures in the field of dispute resolution. A certified mediator and trainer, he has been named Mediation Expert of the Year in the Netherlands at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025, recognising a career devoted to helping parties resolve conflict constructively and on their own terms.

De Waart holds national and international quality recognitions, including MFN registration in the Netherlands and IMI certification internationally, credentials that reflect a commitment to recognised professional standards in mediation. He frames his discipline as the art of finding balance between conflicting interests, and works from the principle that a dispute reflects genuine underlying needs which deserve respect. For him, mediation is ultimately about restoration: of respect, of equality, of communication and of the relationships between the parties involved.

The practice offers a broad suite of services built around that philosophy. Alongside conventional mediation, De Waart provides a one-day mediation format designed for commercial disputes that are urgent, financially significant or involve international parties, and he has particular experience in group mediation, resolving conflicts that involve several people or whole teams. His work extends beyond the resolution of individual disputes into training, coaching, change management and organisational support, helping managers and teams learn to handle conflict and prevent it from escalating in the first place.

Central to his approach is the idea that, unlike arbitration or litigation, mediation leaves the outcome in the hands of the parties themselves. Rather than having a decision imposed upon them, participants retain control and work towards a solution they can each accept, an approach that often preserves working and personal relationships that a contested court process might damage. De Waart works with businesses, government bodies and private individuals alike, developing constructive routes through disagreement and seeking to prevent the negative escalation that can otherwise take hold. Mediation has grown steadily in standing across the Netherlands and internationally as parties and their advisers recognise its advantages over adversarial routes: it is typically faster, less costly and more private than litigation, and it allows tailored, forward-looking solutions that a court judgment cannot provide. Recognition through registers such as the MFN and international certification through the IMI give clients assurance that a mediator meets defined standards of competence and conduct. De Waart's readiness to work across commercial, governmental and private disputes, and to offer accelerated formats for urgent or high-value matters, reflects the flexibility that makes mediation especially attractive to businesses.

By combining hands-on mediation with training and coaching, De Waart Mediation & Training aims not only to settle the dispute in front of it but to leave clients and organisations better equipped to manage conflict in future. That dual focus, on resolving present disputes and building lasting capability, has helped establish Jacques de Waart's reputation across the Netherlands. His recognition as Mediation Expert of the Year in the Netherlands at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025 underscores the standing he has earned as a trusted, principled and experienced mediator for commercial, public-sector and private clients.