Methods for Breaking an Impasse: The Mediator’s Proposal
It is the end of a long day of mediation. The parties have skillfully argued their positions, and outlined for each other the downsides of litigation, and the need to compromise. Questions have been asked and answered, with positions at times solidified and at times conceded. Attorney and mediator sidebars and private sessions have yielded […]
Pre-Discovery Mediation Strategies: How to Resolve a Dispute When You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Typically in litigation, a good amount of expense relates to numerous depositions, not to mention interrogatories, document production, and other forms of discovery required before trial. The discovery process can take months, if not years, to complete. So it makes sense that parties and their attorneys like to schedule “early” or “pre-discovery” mediations in the […]
Impasse Busters: The “Silver Bullet” and the “Mediator’s Proposal”
What tools are available when negotiations during a mediation begin to break down, with counsel and their clients becoming frustrated and irritated? To try to avoid an impasse, counsel may ask the mediator to employ the “silver bullet” method, or the “mediator’s proposal” method. But not all mediators use these methods in the same way. […]