Managed
properly, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) can be a more efficient and
cost-effective method of dispute resolution than litigation. ADR offers speed
of resolution, lower expense, and greater subject matter experience than
is found in overburdened court systems. Moreover, for companies with business
activities outside the United States, resorting to ADR rather than foreign
legal systems can help ensure a more predictable method for resolving conflicts
and obtaining enforceable awards.
Jones Walker's
ADR Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who are well-versed in the
resolution of disputes through ADR, both as client advocates and as third-party
neutrals in mediation, arbitration, other dispute resolution processes. Our
familiarity with national and international ADR organizations and
rules, coupled with our deep, industry-specific knowledge and our commitment to
help clients control legal-services costs, enables us to provide clients with
creative, effective solutions for resolving business disputes at home and
abroad.
Experience
Matters: Top-Ranked Negotiators and Litigators
The Jones
Walker ADR team includes professionals who have been recognized for their
skills by a variety of organizations, including Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America®,
Super Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report, and International Who's Who. The
group includes qualified arbitrators and mediators, who are members of CPR,
LCIA, ICC, the AAA's National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators, and are
also included on the AAA's approved list of
arbitrators. Our attorneys also serve as National Association of
Securities Dealers arbitrators, are members of the Dispute Resolution Board
Foundation, and have other experience in resolving and settling disputes
outside of the courts. Several of our attorneys have served on numerous
committees in multidistrict litigation (MDL), or have been appointed by federal
judges as special masters overseeing MDL cases.
With our
broad-based experience, we are able to advise and counsel clients on the
complete ADR process, from the drafting of ADR clauses, selection of neutrals,
as well as handling arbitration as litigators and serving as arbitrators. We
understand what is required to develop and deliver a compelling case
appropriate to the forum and the process. Most importantly, our team also
understands the important differences between litigation and arbitration, and
the means and methods for preserving the speed and cost advantages of
arbitration over litigation.
We have
successfully represented clients in proceedings under the auspices of the
American Arbitration Association, the AAA International Centre for Dispute
Resolution, the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the
International Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Commission on
International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules, and the International Bar
Association Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Commercial
Arbitration. In addition, our team has experience with a variety of other ADR
vehicles, including dispute review boards, mediation, mini-trials, summary jury
trials, and structured negotiations.
Recent
engagements include arbitrations conducted in France, Switzerland, Norway, the
United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States involving business interests
in Central America, Middle East, Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. Our
lawyers also regularly provide clients with second opinions regarding
liability, quantum and case strategy.
Industry-Focused
Teams
Jones Walker
has demonstrated strength in a number of industries that play a key role in the
economy of the southeastern United States. Our lawyers have developed a
particular focus on the energy, oil and gas, maritime, insurance, construction,
manufacturing, and banking and financial sectors, all of which have
increasingly turned to ADR as a means of resolving cross-border and other
complex disputes quickly and efficiently.
Our energy
clients include domestic and international oil and gas exploration and service
companies, power generation, renewable fuels and alternative energy companies.
We have represented chemicals, mining, aviation, automotive, construction and
other manufacturing enterprises whose products range from consumer goods to
heavy machinery. Our maritime clients include shipowners; operators;
charterers; towboats and barge lines; terminals; shipyards; cargo owners; blue
water shipping interests; and oil and gas service companies,
operators and underwriters. We advise insurance companies whose products
include virtually every form of coverage available, and have represented banks,
bank holding companies and other financial services businesses in a range of
commercial disputes.
Value:
The Sum of Efficiency and Results
We strive to resolve
our client's business disputes in a manner that achieves their objectives. We
understand that one such goal is to control overall legal expenses without
sacrificing results. Jones Walker takes an innovative approach to alternative
fee arrangements that is often well suited for arbitration portfolios. We work
closely with clients to determine desired outcomes, negotiate fee structures
that align the objectives of both parties, and provide ongoing accountability
and communications that help ensure that we are meeting agreed-upon budget
requirements.
