{"id":472,"date":"2012-04-10T13:25:29","date_gmt":"2012-04-10T19:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=472"},"modified":"2012-04-10T13:25:29","modified_gmt":"2012-04-10T19:25:29","slug":"construction-mediation-works-even-when-it-doesnt-construction-law-musings-richmond-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/construction-mediation-works-even-when-it-doesnt-construction-law-musings-richmond-va\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction Mediation Works! (Even When it Doesn\u2019t) | Construction Law Musings- Richmond, VA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christopher Hill – April 2, 2012<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been reading\u00a0Construction Law Musings<\/a>\u00a0lately you know that I\u2019ve been on a bit of a mediation kick.\u00a0 I\u2019ve recently been\u00a0certified by the Virginia Supreme Court<\/a>\u00a0and have had a few mediations lately.\u00a0 I\u2019ve discussed the mediation process from the\u00a0perspective of the advocate<\/a>\u00a0and that of\u00a0the mediator<\/a>.\u00a0 Of course, most, if not all, of these musings have discussed\u00a0successful<\/em>mediations.\u00a0 By successful, I mean those that result in a settlement and an end to the hostilities\/litigation.<\/p>\n

Of course, some mediations do not result in an agreement.\u00a0 Sometimes the parties truly work for a full day (or more) in an attempt to reach a settlement with the help of a very capable mediator and simply cannot make that last jump to bridge the gap.\u00a0 Usually, these \u201cunsuccessful\u201d (and I use quotes around this term for a reason that will be come clear later) mediations end up this way despite (as opposed to because of) the genuine desire of the parties to reach a settlement.<\/p>\n

While it would be easy to write off these seemingly unsuccessful days as being a waste of time and money (and therefore discourage the use of mediation in the future), I encourage you not to do so.\u00a0 I say this because despite the lack of an agreement at the end of the day, much can be gained simply by participating in the mediation process.<\/p>\n

For a\u00a0construction litigator<\/a>\u00a0like me, information and proper case evaluation are key.\u00a0 Participating in the mediation process with a mediator that knows your particular field of practice can give you and your client more of both.\u00a0 While holed up at a law office or other venue and participating in the give and take of mediation you get to look the other side and their counsel in the eye.\u00a0 This can give you a read on who you are dealing with (if you haven\u2019t dealt with that counsel before).<\/p>\n

You also get some informal discovery into what the other side may think are the strengths and weaknesses of your case (and possibly of their own).\u00a0 While a mediator will not pass on information that you and your client wish to keep confidential (and this information even where passed remains confidential and not subject to discovery), often times certain information is passed on in hopes of settlement that can give you a read on where the case may go.\u00a0 As they say, more information is better than less.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, you can get information from the mediator.\u00a0 Particularly where you hire a mediator experienced in your field of practice (in my case construction law), he or she can give you insight into the areas of possible weakness and strength in your case.\u00a0 Having a third party impart this wisdom long before a judge or jury decides to make its opinion known can be invaluable.<\/p>\n

Finally, the process can sometimes lead to a settlement after the fact.\u00a0 After the parties get a chance to look again at their positions post-mediation they may very well be in a better frame of mind for settlement.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve stated on many occasions, settlement is often the best business decision in a construction dispute.\u00a0 Generally, the parties did not anticipate the time and cost of litigation.\u00a0 This time and money is usually paid to an attorney who will help to resolve the dispute (whether in court or otherwise) and not used to further the business objectives of the construction companies involved.<\/p>\n

In short, aside from the clear carrot of settlement being achieved through mediation, the benefits of mediation (regardless of outcome) make it a great option in most, if not all construction cases.\u00a0 Having seen these many benefits from both an advocate\u2019s and a mediator\u2019s perspective, I\u2019m jumping into the mediation game with both feet as a construction mediator.<\/p>\n

Please\u00a0contact me<\/a>\u00a0with any questions about the process or if you would like to have a mediator who knows construction law and truly wishes to assist construction professionals to resolve their disputes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christopher Hill – April 2, 2012 If you\u2019ve been reading\u00a0Construction Law Musings\u00a0lately you know that I\u2019ve been on a bit of a mediation kick.\u00a0 I\u2019ve recently been\u00a0certified by the Virginia Supreme Court\u00a0and have had a few mediations lately.\u00a0 I\u2019ve discussed the mediation process from the\u00a0perspective of the advocate\u00a0and that of\u00a0the mediator.\u00a0 Of course, most, if… Continue reading Construction Mediation Works! (Even When it Doesn\u2019t) | Construction Law Musings- Richmond, VA<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14],"tags":[79],"class_list":["post-472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-2","tag-mediation-2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nConstruction Mediation Works! 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