Why Mediate? | Mar 12, 2020

Many attorneys, and certainly those that have spent much of their careers without the relatively new benefit of mediation as an alternative to trial, often proclaim that mediation is a waste of time. Whether the parties are too entrenched in their positions, or if they simply feel like they will achieve a better result at […]

Blindsided at Mediation? | Nov 1, 2018

Part 1: The Blindsider At a recent mediation, the two parties were really far apart on their numbers. After I caucused with both sides, I realized that the defendant knew critical information that the plaintiff did not know. It was no wonder they were so far apart on their numbers! — They were evaluating two […]

Do You Need an Opening Statement at Mediation? | Oct 29, 2018

The last blog post I wrote about whether you should make an opening statement at mediation. I gave four key reasons why you usually will want to make an opening statement. Here’s a checklist to help you decide when to make an opening statement, when you can skip it, and the one circumstance when you […]

Should You Make an Opening Statement at Mediation? | Oct 23, 2018

When I speak at CLE events, the most frequent question is: Should I make an opening statement at mediation? The answer is almost always an emphatic yes. This blog will cover some of the key reasons you will want to make an opening statement.   Reasons to Make an Opening Statement   1. To show […]

7 Things Lawyers Should Bring to Mediation | Oct 18, 2018

  Be sure to stick these 7 things in your bag when you pack up to go to mediation. Number 5 may surprise you – it did me! If possible, bring old-fashioned paper copies of the documents. If you are short on planning time, you can always pull up the documents you need on your […]

Easy Ways to Write A Mediation Brief | Sep 26, 2018

Mediators often talk about wanting to receive a “mediation brief” before the mediation starts. The term is unfortunate because it implies the mediator is expecting a specialized, formal document. Faced with writing (and billing for) yet another formal, legal document, many lawyers elect not to send anything at all to the mediator. Today I want […]

6 Things Your Client may not Know About Mediation | Sep 24, 2018

TV and movies offer a steady stream of courtroom scenes, but – as a mediator, I’ll be the one to say it! – mediations are not exactly high-drama fodder. Having never seen a mediation before, most clients do not know what to expect, and they have a lot of questions and misunderstandings. Today we are talking […]