Y-ADR Spotlight Series - Interview Questions with Stephanie Davies
Stephanie Davies
Head of Legal Weapons and Advanced Products
Raytheon UK
1. What has been a beneficial aspect of engaging with the CPR Institute for you personally or professionally?
One of the most valuable aspects of participating in the CPR Institute has been the opportunity to gain practical insight into how other organisations approach disputes avoidance and early-resolution strategies. As an in-house lawyer my focus is often on creating efficiencies, business continuity and maintaining commercial relationships so hearing how peers structure their ADR processes, what has worked well and what hasn’t has been incredibly useful.
It is also fantastic to work with like-minded colleagues of different backgrounds to share ideas and insights, something I don’t often have the opportunity to do with a heavy workload.
2. What inspired you to steer your career toward ADR, and what steps did you take to make it to where you are today?
I have spent the last 15 years working in-house in the defence sector and I have seen firsthand just how disruptive disputes can be, not just from a purely legal perspective, but the impact operationally. That really inspired me to focus on ADR as a way to reduce risk and maintain momentum for the business. I strengthened my skills by shadowing mediations, collaborating with external counsel on early-resolution approaches, and proactively designing clearer escalation pathways in our contracts. This enabled me to foster a culture where we place an equal importance on dispute avoidance as we do resolving them.
3. What is one piece of advice you would give to somebody who wanted to pursue a career in ADR?
The best piece of advice I ever received was to invest time in understanding human behaviour as much as you understand legal principles. The capacity to interpret dynamics, manage personalities, and build trust is what distinguishes effective dispute resolution practioners from the technically competent ones. Often you can find a cost-effective solution to the problem at hand when you understand the other sides’ motivations and concerns.
4. What is an issue that you see within the field of ADR and how can that issue be combated?
One issue that I see time and time again is parties choose to invoke ADR too late in the contracting relationship. Parties often turn to ADR at a point in time where their positions have become quite entrenched and relationships have greatly deteriorated. By that stage, the opportunity for early, interest-based resolution has narrowed significantly. The way in which to avoid this is to embed structured, early engagement mechanisms into contracts, implementing clear escalation pathways, and training internal teams to recognise the early warning signs of a dispute.
5. What personal characteristics are most beneficial to you in your career?
I have had to learn to remain composed under pressure in my role. Maintaining calm, clarity, and objectivity in high-intensity environments has been critical to my success. Disputes in the defence sector often require technical complexity, political scrutiny, and time-sensitive obligations so steady leadership is invaluable.
6. How can people with an interest in ADR get hands-on experience to further their career?
One of the most successful pathways is volunteering to assist with internal negotiations, or early-resolution discussions and this can take multiple forms such as employment or commercial mediation where a dispute has arisen. There are university programmes that offer opportunities to act as a neutral in low-risk settings. These forums offer genuine disputes and real consequences in a safe, supervised setting. Lastly, get involved in the drafting of dispute resolution frameworks, particularly resolution frameworks, notice procedures and ADR clauses. This enables a practical insight into how ADR functions in the commercial reality when negotiating contracts. It’s a strong entry point for lawyers who want to build credibility in this space.
7. (Fun one!) Describe your perfect Friday night in 5 words or less.
Friends, Asian food, music & cocktails!