Mediation in Muang Thakhèk, Khammouane

The Olive Branch in Muang Thakhèk

The Olive Branch provides professional mediation services to clients in Muang Thakhèk and throughout Khammouane in a region home to approximately 434 thousand . Our experienced mediators work remotely to help you resolve disputes efficiently and effectively, saving you time, money, and relationships.

Whether you're dealing with commercial conflicts, family matters, or workplace disputes, we offer a neutral, confidential space where all parties can speak freely and work toward mutually beneficial solutions. Our approach is grounded in real-world experience and a deep understanding of the challenges businesses and individuals face.

We understand that every dispute is unique. That's why we tailor our mediation process to your specific circumstances, ensuring that the resolution you reach is practical, lasting, and fair to everyone involved.

Laos

Legal Framework

Mediation and arbitration proceedings in Laos follow the Law on Resolution of Economic Disputes (No. 51/NA, dated 22 June 2018), which came into force on 5 December 2018. This is the second amendment of the law since its introduction in 2005. The law regulates both arbitration and mediation, reflecting the approach that these two different methods of dispute resolution are intertwined due to the requirement that parties shall mediate before having the right to arbitrate in Laos. The Law on Investment Promotion (No. 14/NA, 17 November 2016) provides that dispute resolution relating to investment may be undertaken through amicable resolution, administrative dispute resolution, dispute resolution by the Economic Dispute Resolution Authority in Laos or overseas authority to which Laos is a party, or filing of a claim or litigation to the courts of Laos or an overseas court to which Laos is a party. The Law on Civil Procedure provides that in reviewing a mediation settlement or an arbitral award of the Office of Economic Dispute Resolution, the court shall only review whether the dispute resolution has been conducted in conformity with existing regulations regarding dispute resolution.

Court System

The Amended Law on Economic Dispute Resolution reflects the intention of regulators to promote mediation and arbitration as an alternative to dispute resolution through the increase of transparency and reduction of procedural timeframes. The law limits the scope of court intervention in the enforcement of domestic arbitration awards to the consideration of compliance with Lao law. With the current civil procedure law and the Amended Law limiting court intervention, such limitation may also be applied to the enforcement of foreign arbitration awards, thereby reducing the scope of court intervention with the recognition of foreign arbitral awards. The law abandons the conservative provision on the recognition of foreign award which required a court to take the nationality of the parties, broad compliance with national laws, and value and location of the parties' assets into consideration. It now merely subjects the enforcement of foreign arbitral award to general civil procedure law. If the court finds that the result of the Office of Economic Dispute Resolution does not conform to the law of Laos, the parties shall have the right to request the Office to reexamine the dispute or to file a complaint to the people's court for adjudication.

Mediator Regulations

The Amended Law on Economic Dispute Resolution introduces requirements for mediator and arbitral tribunal to make a procedural plan. The law introduces the process to determine the mediator and arbitrator fees by the Ministry of Justice and Government of Laos. The law decreases the timeline for several procedures, including the selection of mediator and arbitrator. The law requires an agreement to resolve a dispute in the Centre or Office of Economic Dispute Resolution as a compulsory supporting document. Parties must mediate before having the right to arbitrate in Laos. The regulatory framework to enable the private sector to establish an alternative channel for business arbitration is still under development with assistance from international donors such as USAID. Specific certification requirements for mediators are not detailed in available sources, but the requirement for procedural plans and fee determination by Ministry of Justice indicates regulatory oversight.

Cultural Approach

The Amended Law on Economic Dispute Resolution reflects the intention of regulators to promote mediation and arbitration as an alternative to dispute resolution through the increase of transparency and reduction of procedural timeframes. The requirement that parties shall mediate before having the right to arbitrate indicates a cultural preference for mediation as a first step in dispute resolution. The law's approach of regulating both arbitration and mediation as intertwined methods reflects a cultural emphasis on step-by-step dispute resolution. The introduction of the concept of fair proceedings indicates movement toward international standards. The regulatory framework still under development with international donor assistance indicates ongoing modernization efforts. The cultural approach values mediation as a preliminary step before arbitration, with emphasis on transparency and procedural efficiency.

Typical Costs

The Amended Law on Economic Dispute Resolution introduces the process to determine the mediator and arbitrator fees by the Ministry of Justice and Government of Laos. Specific fee structures are not detailed in available sources. The law allows parties to choose the number of arbitrators between one and three, which affects cost considerations. The previous requirement of three arbitrators excluded the possibility to save cost by appointing a sole arbitrator, which the amended law partially addresses. No specific hourly or daily rates are documented in available sources. The requirement for fee determination by Ministry of Justice indicates standardised fee structures. No specific cost provisions are documented in available sources.

Sources

Country Sources

• Lao PDR - Part I - Arbitration in Asia - 2nd Edition (organisation)
• Laos – The Amended Law On Economic Dispute Resolution (organisation)
• Law on Civil Procedure Law, Lao People's Democratic Republic (organisation)
• Laos - United States Department of State (organisation)
• Dispute Resolution in the Lao PDR (organisation)
• 46 countries sign the Singapore Convention on mediated settlements (organisation)
• New York Convention - Contracting States (organisation)
• Singapore Convention on Mediation - Jurisdictions (organisation)