Setting the Standard
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Five attorneys at the Pinto Coates Kyre & Brown firm have been certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to be mediators in civil lawsuits. A mediator, such as the certified mediators at our firm, serves as a facilitator, focusing parties' discussions as to how they might settle their dispute. A mediator does not force the parties to settle, but he or she helps steer negotiations between the parties in an effort to compromise their claims and defenses so as to lead to a settlement of the lawsuit and hence avoid the uncertainty of a trial. Most civil lawsuits filed in North Carolina Superior Courts are required to have a mediated settlement conference. If a mediation is not successful, the mediator will report an “impasse” to the Court and the case will proceed to trial. A mediation is a confidential process, and except for several rare and rule-allowed situations, a mediator will not discuss what occurred at mediation with a judge or jury.
Parties to a lawsuit are allowed to select the mediator for their case, and so if you are in need of a mediator, you should consider utilizing the services of our certified mediators, because with their extensive experience as civil litigation attorneys, they bring with them as mediators the insight to help all sides of a dispute seek an acceptable compromise resolution.
