Neutral Mediator With Experience in the Courtroom and Corporate Boardroom
Focusing on resolution of business litigation, employment disputes and other complex litigation
Focusing on resolution of business litigation, employment disputes and other complex litigation
I have participated in hundreds of mediations over my 40-year career. Cases worthy of mediation inherently involve reasonable disagreements, making evaluative mediation more likely to achieve resolution. Successful mediations are led by neutrals who help parties objectively assess the strengths and weaknesses of their claims and defenses. I evaluate cases based not only on the facts and the law, but also informed by my assessment of how effective the parties’ arguments would be in a courtroom.
Too many mediations fail because the mediator avoids a meaningful evaluation of the underlying facts and legal issues. Instead, they rely on “shuttle diplomacy,” simply moving between parties to nudge them toward a compromise. While this approach can sometimes lead to settlement, complex cases demand more. I work closely with parties to achieve fair settlements that balance merit with risk, always mindful of the benefit of certainty.
In my 25 years as a trial lawyer, I tried dozens of jury and court cases in state and federal courts. My practice focused on commercial litigation, but also included products liability, employment discrimination, franchise disputes, environmental matters, and bankruptcy and creditors rights disputes.
In 2011, I transitioned to in-house counsel overseeing global litigation at United Technologies Corporation (now RTX Corporation). I was hired to fill a new role at the company with the goal of using my courtroom experience to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of lawsuits and to better position the company for success. This role expanded my experience and perspective, and I became responsible for an even broader range of litigation than in private practice, including securities litigation, government contract disputes, insurance coverage disputes, class actions, intellectual property litigation and toxic tort matters.
Importantly, my in-house counsel role exposed me to dispute resolution from a very different perspective. I came to understand other factors that can encourage a corporate defendant to resolve a dispute: the unpredictability of a jury verdict, financial statement reserves, and cost considerations.
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