Shirli Kirschner

Shirli is CEO of Resolve Advisors, a frontrunner of innovative and practical dispute resolution for the public and private sectors in Australia and internationally including Asia and the USA. Her professional expertise includes facilitation (including mediation) and dispute system design. She has been involved in issues including water, energy regulation, telecommunications, land rights, financial regulation, music rights and distribution and risk management.

She has resolved disputes on behalf of Government, business and individuals in a wide variety of contexts including employment, banking and finance, taxation, consumer protection, defence, law, mining and resources, telecommunications, media and the arts.

Prior to founding Resolve Advisors, she worked as a lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin before which she spent 4 years as a Senior Associate with Allens-Allen and Hemsley (as it was then).

Consultancy Roles

Shirli’s ongoing consultancy roles include Dispute Resolution Advisor for the Wholesales Energy Market (gas and electricity) reporting to the Australian Energy Regulator. She is also the Resolution Facilitator for APRA-AMCOS, and an advisor for dispute process for Screenrights Australia. She received the LEADR award for ‘Creative Adaptation of Dispute Resolution to meet specific needs’ in 2014 for her continued contribution to the field in Australia.

Other notable positions

Shirli was appointed to National Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution Reporting to the Attorney General by the Hon. Attorney General (fed labour) in 2014. She was admitted as a part-time Registrar at the Federal Circuits Court in 2013 and has non-executive board at JewishCare NSW as well as being the Treasurer for the Australian Dispute Resolution Advisory Council (ADRAC) for which she was a founding member.

ADRAC seeks to provide thought leadership on dispute resolution. Shirli has previously served as a director of the Shalom Institute of UNSW and the Law Society’s ADR Committee.

Core focus

A core focus of Shirli’s work is centred on capacity building, which is integral to the operation of dispute systems. This involves empowering individuals and organisations to develop skills in setting strategy and effective implementation through negotiation. Shirli’s personal goal is to do meaningful work with individuals and organisations who understand that good process that is seamlessly executed and invisible is the key to delivering superior outcomes for all parties.

Awards and accomplishments

• LEADR award for ‘Creative Adaptation of Dispute Resolution to meet specific needs’ (2014)
• SPAN award for contribution to dispute resolution in the wholesale telecommunications market (2002)
• Adjunct Senior Fellow of UNSW
• Registrar of Federal Circuits Court
• LEADR Advanced Panel of Mediators
• Federal Courts Panel of Mediators for Indigenous Matters
• ATO Workplace Panel of Mediators and Facilitators (2012-2014)
• Department of Materials Negotiation Panel (until 2014)

Areas of expertise

• Dispute system design
• Facilitation of strategy around complex issues
• Multi-party commercial disputes
• Large group processes
• Commercial mediations
• Training to support systems based on deep consultancy experience