How to define partiality? Within the alternative dispute resolution sphere, the word partiality, or more commonly impartiality, is used often, but for some new to the field, it can be difficult to define. I t often feels like a type of action that would normally be easily identifiable, but in the world of alternative dispute …
Finding a Way Out of a Subpoena After receiving a subpoena, the first thing many people wonder is what some valid reasons they could use to get out of a subpoena are. Being served with a subpoena can be an intimidating process if someone has not encountered it before, and not following the directions correctly …
Opening statements in mediation set the tone for the rest of the mediation process. They open the mediation and begin the conciliatory process. Both the mediator and parties have the opportunity to set the stage for what they hope to accomplish and how they see the issues at hand. Because they hold so much power …
Ever get mad at someone because they did something you didn’t expect? Of course you have, we all have. They’re not something we directly think about every day, but expectations are a key component of what drives many peoples’ behavior – including our own – all the time. When we sit down at a nice …
Med-Arb is a long-standing and robust practice that combines the flexibility and self-determination inherent in mediation with the certainty and finality of arbitration. Med-Arb has become widely used in the last decade. A survey performed by David Lipsky and Ronald Seeber found that an astonishing forty percent of responding Fortune 1,000 corporations had engaged in …
I use the term peacemaking to describe the values and processes involved in transforming difficult and intractable conflicts. Peacemaking encompasses mediation; however, mediation, especially mediation of litigated disputes, does not necessarily include peacemaking. Knowing the difference is useful because it can influence the processes and interventions used by mediators. Join now to enjoy full access …
Increasingly, corporations recognize the value of a Program for managing workplace conflict that precludes litigation. These systems are designed by trained ADR consultants retained by the company on a contract basis. In order to implement such a Program, there must first be broad “buyin” from all segments of labor and management. Design consultants must therefore …
I’ve practiced employment law for more than 35 years, representing both employees and employers. I‘ve also been selected as an Arbitrator in more than 50 employment arbitrations. As a result of this experience, I have come to recognize common factors that often precipitate wrongful termination cases. While there’s no way to guarantee a lawsuit won’t …
Management studies suggest that only one out of six mergers, acquisitions, or spin offs fulfill their purpose. More often than not, the resulting company experiences organizational failures after the merger. The participant companies simply do not get along. Management theorists believe mergers that are successful are generally the product of interactive planning by the stakeholders. …
In 1998, Professor Thomas J. Stipanowich, then of the University of Kentucky, was asked to chart the future of arbitration in the 21st Century. He suggested then that arbitrators would increasingly be asked to “wear more than one hat.” That is, he predicted the growth of hybrid forms of dispute resolution such as “med-arb,” a process …
