Practice Areas & Industries: Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Hinshaw mediators are well-versed in alternative dispute resolutions. More importantly, they appreciate the client's desire to avoid costly and public litigation.

Why Use a Mediator?
There has been a dramatic shift in the practice of law. Historically, settlement efforts in the litigation arena were little more than a sitting judge’s case evaluation. But today, more and more attorneys are turning to professional neutrals to facilitate settlement negotiations for litigated cases. As increasing numbers of courts, including courts in the Illinois counties of Cook and DuPage, are requiring parties to mediate in order to accommodate an overburdened legal system, there is a growing demand for professionals who, in addition to being able to evaluate a case, can also facilitate negotiations between adversarial parties to reach innovative solutions.

Why Hinshaw Mediators?
All but a few members of the Mediation Practice group at Hinshaw are partners who have been trained in mediation by the faculty of Pepperdine University School of Law's top-ranked Straus Institute for Resolution — Ranked No. 1 for Dispute Resolution Training by U.S. News & World Report. Other attorneys in the group have similar training. They have been taught to identify and work with different negotiation styles, and facilitate problem-solving regardless of whether the case involves contractual, tort, personal injury, employment, partnership or securities issues. They know how to handle myriad issues specific to the adversarial setting, including managing attorney advocates, the parameters of confidentiality and concerns about discovery. Additionally, the group has an established and proven procedure to effectively and efficiently handle the mediation process, from the mediation agreement stage to the final closure of the matter.