Founded in 1975 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, The Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators Australia is the nation's largest, independent and most experienced arbitration and mediation service. The Institute has a strong commitment to multi-disciplinary fellowship and learning.

The Institute aims to serve the community, commerce and industry by facilitating efficient dispute resolution methods including arbitration, mediation, conciliation and adjudication. It is Australia-wide, with members represented in all States and Territories and overseas.

Its membership brings the experience some of Australia's most eminent engineers, accountants, lawyers, building consultants, architects and other professionals to the practice of arbitration and mediation.

Its internal accreditation, professional development and training programmes, as well as its administrative back-up procedures, ensure quality of service delivery.

It provides an independent, reliable and convenient trust account structure to help facilitate the management of cases.

The IAMA's main objectives are:

• To promote, encourage and facilitate the practice of settlement of disputes by arbitration and other forms of non-curial dispute resolution.

• To serve the community, commerce and industry by facilitating efficient dispute resolution.

• To afford means of communicating between professional arbitrators, mediators and other dispute resolvers on matters affecting their various interests.

• To support and protect the character, status and interests of the dispute resolution profession generally.

• To promote study of the law and practice relating to arbitration and dispute resolution.

• To disseminate information amongst Members on all matters affecting dispute resolution practice and procedure.

• To print, publish and circulate such journals, papers and other literary undertakings and to contribute articles to magazines as may seem conducive to any of these objects.

• To form a library for the use of Members and to provide suitable rooms for the holding of hearings, conferences, lectures and meetings.

• To provide means for training and testing the qualifications of candidates for admission to professional membership of the Institute by examination and for such purposes to award certificates, establish scholarships, rewards and prizes.

• To establish branches in important centres of the States and Territories of the Commonwealth.