Conflict Resolution

Litigation may lead to long delays and high costs that ultimately don’t help the parties to lawsuits. Sometimes litigation is the only method to resolve conflict. However, when it is appropriate conflict resolution methods can reduce the delays, risks and costs of litigation.

Mediation, negotiation, facilitation and arbitration are all forms of conflict resolution. All can serve as alternate methods to resolve dispute if used appropriately. I am trained in conflict resolution and am uniquely qualified to negotiate on behalf of my clients and serve as a neutral in cases where parties are seeking dispute resolution.

I attended the University of Utah Conflict Resolution Certificate Program. This program provides over 100 hours of actual negotiation and conflict resolution experience. Each phase of the process is overseen by highly skilled, experienced mediators who provide individual feedback. This intense and individualized training process allows for students to truly analyze the philosophies of negotiation and investigate diverse methods for resolving the toughest situations.

In some cases, participants achieve higher satisfaction from conflict resolution process. This is because a conflict resolution process can often be tailored to the specific needs of the parties and it allows the parties a greater individual voice and participation than a judicial system—where parties’ stories are often conveyed by lawyers and experts instead of the individuals themselves. I believe that all alternatives to conflict resolution should be considered to achieve successful results - economically, rapidly and efficiently.

As a litigator, I can educate my clients of conflict resolution advantages and disadvantages. Often contacting an attorney at the outset of a matter will allow contracts and guidelines to be put in place to direct the process efficiently and allow for dispute resolution mechanisms tailored to suit the parties and the transaction. Additionally, I fully understand the philosophy of negotiation. Two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu, a Chinese philosopher and general wrote a book entitled "The Art of War.” This book is instructive regarding the most effective way for litigators, as warriors, to approach dispute resolution. Warriors must be fully prepared for battle. It is important to be fully educated, thoroughly armed and completely familiar with your own and your opponents strengths and weaknesses to negotiate alternatives. Preparation is the key at every juncture. If you are not adequately prepared in litigation, you will not be in a position to effectively mediate.