{"id":896144,"date":"2019-07-11T10:34:23","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T16:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=896144"},"modified":"2019-07-09T11:26:21","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T17:26:21","slug":"no-8-horrible-terrible-mediation-mistakes-lawyers-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/no-8-horrible-terrible-mediation-mistakes-lawyers-make\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 8 of the Top 10 Horrible, Terrible, No Good Mistakes Lawyers Make in Mediations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

David K. Taylor | BuildSmart<\/a> | July 3, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post is a continuation of the 10 most horrible, terrible, no good, \u201cbang your head against the door\u201d mistakes that I have seen lawyers make before, during and after mediations<\/a> in which I was the mediator. As stated in previous posts, it takes more than throwing together a mediation statement at the last second and showing up at the mediation. Doing it right requires the same kind of due diligence and work that goes into preparing for a key deposition or even trial. Great \u201cmediation\u201d lawyering is essential and is the best way to get to an acceptable deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number 8: Failing to Prepare the Client and Not Having a Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How experienced is your client representative? If she\u2019s an in-house counsel who has attended scores of mediations, there may not be a need for much preparation, other than to make sure she has the authority to settle and understands the dispute and the issues. But if the client has limited experience, and this is a \u201cbet the business\u201d case, counsel MUST spend time (and that means in person, not via email or calls) to explain the process and to try to manage the client\u2019s expectations. I have had clients think that mediation was a trial and were furious at their counsel for not \u201ctrying\u201d the case during the mediation. The definition of \u201csettlement\u201d: No one is happy. The real world applies. I have yet to walk into the room of a party after a few sessions and the client say, \u201cI now realize I was wrong; here\u2019s a check; you are the greatest mediator in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of any mediation is not to \u201cwin\u201d but to resolve the dispute. What can your client \u201clive with?\u201d Talk with the client before the mediation about all possible outcomes, which can include losing at trial (even though you are, of course, the best lawyer in the world). Have a plan going into a mediation, but anticipate the need for some flexibility in case something new is revealed by the opposition or the client, such as telling the lawyer at the mediation (it\u2019s happened more than once), \u201cBy the way, I forgot to tell you that I fired our primary fact witness last week for theft, and she hates our guts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be realistic about the consequences of not getting a deal, especially future legal fees, expenses and the impact on your client\u2019s business (including how much time the client\u2019s key employees are going to have to spend on the case). It is amazing how many times I ask a party\/counsel what their best and worse case scenarios are, including estimated legal fees\/expenses. I often get a blank look. I then have to estimate legal fees and expenses through trial, and no matter what the counsel\u2019s hourly rate is, the final number can put a client on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear, great mediation advocacy is not the<\/em> most important element in getting a deal done; pre-mediation planning is equally important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read numbers 9<\/a> and 10<\/a> on the list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David K. Taylor | BuildSmart | July 3, 2019 This post is a continuation of the 10 most horrible, terrible, no good, \u201cbang your head against the door\u201d mistakes that I have seen lawyers make before, during and after mediations in which I was the mediator. As stated in previous posts, it takes more than… Continue reading No. 8 of the Top 10 Horrible, Terrible, No Good Mistakes Lawyers Make in Mediations<\/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":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13],"tags":[9895,79],"class_list":["post-896144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mediation","tag-advise-consult","tag-mediation-2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nNo. 8 of the Top 10 Horrible, Terrible, No Good Mistakes Lawyers Make in Mediations - 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