PREMi - Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan, LLC
Offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Call: 248.385.3488 About UsPREMi ADR Spotlight
Published: Oakland County
Legal News – August 2026
By Lee Hornberger,
Arbitrator and Mediator
The Opening Statement in a
Labor Arbitration
Introduction
The opening statement is crucial in labor arbitration cases. The opening statement gives advocates the opportunity to successfully put forth their client’s case in the most favorable light to the arbitrator at the very beginning of the arbitration hearing.
An opening statement is a brief and general outline of what the dispute is about and what the advocate intends to prove. Even if the advocate prepares a written opening statement, it should be presented orally.1
Furthermore, “[t]he opening statements set the stage for the testimony to come …
Mediator of the Month
Lee Hornberger is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators, former Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Editor Emeritus of The Michigan Dispute Resolution Journal, former member of the State Bar’s Representative Assembly, former President of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association, and former Chair of the Traverse City Human Rights Commission. He is a member of the Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan (PREMi), an invitation-only group of Michigan’s top mediators, and a Diplomate Member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He is also a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.
He has received the Distinguished Service Award from…
We are PREMi!
PREMi is an organization of attorney dispute resolution experts who have numerous years of experience in both conflict resolution processes and subject matter knowledge in many industries and disciplines.
What WE Do…
Courtroom litigation can be expensive in both dollars and time.
That’s why you need PREMi.
Mediation: For lasting resolutions
Why PREMi? PREMi’s independent mediators have years of experience successfully helping parties settle a wide variety of disputes. Mediation allows the parties to shape their own resolutions, resulting in agreements that last.
What is mediation? A PREMi…
Arbitration: A Streamlined process to reach a decision
PREMi can customize an arbitration process to your unique case. We are innate problem solvers with a full range of subject matter expertise, able to focus on the issues and facts in the case and determine the right process. Feel free to call us Today.
Med-arb: An adaptation to conventional arbitration
Med-Arb is a combination of both resolution processes – Mediation and Arbitration. The parties agree in advance that they will first try to resolve the matter by mediation, and if they are not successful in resolving the dispute, then a PREMi…
Speak to a
Dedicated Dispute
Resolution Expert
PREMi is prepared to help you find
the right ADR professional – the best fit for
process and subject matter expertise-to meet
the unique needs of your dispute.
Contact Executive Director Bill Weber Who
will walk you through your options.
Plan a First Meeting
Whether by text, email, phone, video conference, or in person, PREMi will facilitate the first contact among attorneys and parties to help you design a dispute resolution process to fit your particular dispute. Do you need a facilitator, evaluator, negotiation coach, or an arbitrator? How many sessions? Who should attend? A PREMi professional can help you answer these critical questions and more.
Find the Right Mediator
A legal dispute can be one of the most difficult experiences a person may ever deal with. It is important that your mediator is a “good fit” for all participants and that the mediator is effective in resolving the dispute.
Contact
Phone
248-385-3488
Address
PREMi
PO Box 191
Birmingham, MI 48012-0191