ast Thursday, February 23, 2012, Assembly Member Wagner introduced AB 2025 before the Californai State Legislature. The proposal seeks to create an exception to mediation confidentiality by amending Section 1120 of the California Evidence Code to allow the introduction of evidence: (4) ...in an action for legal malpractice, an action [Read More]
"Multi-tasking" took on a whole new meaning for me the other day when I conducted two mediations simultaneously, i.e. at the same time! Sounds strange, doesn't it? It came about at the last minute. I already had one scheduled for the morning. During the previous afternoon, defense counsel telephoned to [Read More]
One of the more memorable movie lines is from Forrest Gump (1994) when Gump comments "My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna to get." " Mediations are like that, too; as a mediator, I never know what to expect. I [Read More]
Although the general consensus among neutrals is that the parties to a dispute should attend the mediation in person, at the same time, I have successfully mediated disputes in which one or more or all involved have attended by telephone. Indeed, I have conducted several mediations solely via telephone with [Read More]
What makes or breaks a successful mediation? Your mindset; that is, how you approach it. Like athletes before an event, one must "visualize" the process of mediation and its successful outcome. Create a mental (if not actual) checklist of the pertinent facts and issues and think about alternative ways to [Read More]
First and foremost, I want to wish each of you a very healthy, happy, prosperous and peaceful New Year. To obtain that peace and a peaceful resolution to all of your disputes, may I suggest something different and oxymoronic: trust. That is right, "trust". Why? Because, a lot of disputes [Read More]
The second issue of ADR Times Perspectives (Vol. 1, No. 2, Nov. 2011, hit my e-mail inbox the other day. Having enjoyed the first issue, I eagerly thumbed through this second issue and found an interesting article by Jasper Ozbirn entitled "Generational Gaps in the Workplace" (at pages 8-9.) According [Read More]
Routinely, most local rules of court require that persons with the ultimate authority to settle a matter be physically present at a court settlement conference or mediation. While it does not take much thought to understand the rationale behind this requirement, it may take a bit more thought to appreciate [Read More]
