Practice Areas & Industries: Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC

Practice/Industry Group Overview

While many associate ADR exclusively with arbitration, its reach is far broader and encompasses binding and non-binding mediation, mini-trials, private judges, early neutral evaluations, and a variety of other methods of dispute resolution. In appropriate circumstances, one or a combination of the above can significantly reduce the cost of discovery, minimize delay, maintain confidentiality and eliminate the possibility of an appeal. Our litigators realize that while not all disputes are amenable to the use of ADR, it should at least be considered for use in most disputes.

Services Available

Our Alternative Dispute Resolution Group has been assembled to more fully assist clients who wish to consider ADR. It is composed of litigators with experience not only acting as advocates in mediation and arbitration proceedings but actually serving as mediators and arbitrators.

We also have been active in presenting seminars on ADR topics and educating other Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney attorneys on the possibilities of ADR.

As a commitment to provide our clients with a variety of options, Buchanan signed a pledge originated by the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution (CPR) and agreed to discuss the applicability of ADR with clients in appropriate circumstances.

Our attorneys have served as "judges" and "arbitrators" in various ADR proceedings -- including the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) -- which give clients a comprehensive perspective on the ADR process. Our attorneys guide clients to finding the most expeditious way to settle disputes, whether by means of baseball arbitration, early neutral evaluation, mini-trials or any combination of ADR procedures.

For example, we arbitrated a complex dispute between the owner and turnkey provider of a cogeneration electricity plant built on the owner's production site.

We not only can suggest and implement suitable ADR options when a dispute arises, but also can suggest language to insert in contracts so as to effect ADR before a dispute occurs. With the expense and delays of judicial litigation, it makes sense to know all the options.