Elsa Costa

I am driven by a quiet conviction: conflicts, however entrenched, can be transformed when people are given the right space to speak and to listen. That conviction did not emerge overnight. It was shaped over time, by law, by institutions and by a growing awareness that decisions imposed are rarely as durable as those that are built.

My path began in the structured world of law, where I served as a judge for 15 years. There, I learned rigor, discipline, and the weight of responsibility. But I also saw the limits of adjudication. Cases could be resolved, yet tensions often lingered beneath the surface. Something was missing.

That realization became a turning point. Rather than moving further into a purely judicial trajectory, I chose a different direction, one that was still grounded in law, but oriented toward dialogue rather than decision. I trained in mediation, deepened my expertise internationally and gradually built a practice that would bridge institutions, cultures and professional worlds.

Today, I work at the intersection of workplace, administrative, and commercial mediation, including within complex international environments such as the OECD. My work often unfolds behind closed doors, in moments where stakes are high and positions are entrenched. What guides me is not the search for quick agreement, but for clarity, helping parties understand not only each other, but also themselves in the conflict.

For me, mediation is not simply a profession. It is a way of engaging with complexity, patiently, rigorously and with the belief that even the most difficult situations can shift when approached with the right balance of structure and humanity.