About Geoff

Geoff Bowyer is the principal of Central Mediation Victoria. Geoff has extensive experience in both legal and corporate environments over a 39 year period including employment at Public Transport Victoria, Ericsson Australia, SPC Limited as well as engagement as a principal lawyer and director in Melbourne law firms and as a principal director of Beck Legal until he became a full-time mediator in 2017.

Background

As a lawyer, Geoff has had a wide range of clients which have included both, local government, statutory and private sector organisations as well is a vast array of SME clients.

Geoff was an accredited commercial law specialist with the Law Institute of Victoria since 2007 and has practiced widely in local government, workplace relations law, construction and company law, retail leasing, receivership and succession law as well a deep understanding of commercial litigation across both State and Federal jurisdictions which has included significant involvement in both pre-litigation and court-sanctioned mediation.

Geoff has significant experience in corporate governance ranging from being a former local government Councillor in Melbourne to advising a range of local government instrumentalities. Geoff has held a range of board position for sporting clubs including Melbourne Vicentre and the foundation chair of Bendigo Bombers. Geoff is a past chair of Bendigo Community Health Services and a past executive director with Law Council of Australia as well as a board member of a number of Bendigo-based organisations.

Geoff was a former president of the Law Institute of Victoria and presented on many occasions to the Institute as well is being a long-standing legal commentator on ABC Regional Radio Victoria.

Geoff is currently a VCAT mediator, Victorian Small-Business Commission mediator as well as being on the panel of mediators for the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Geoff continues to conduct private mediations for law firms and local councils.