PREMi Articles

By Earlene R. Baggett-Hayesand Joyce A. G. Mitchell Co-mediation is a conflict resolution approach that has many similarities to the tango. The tango is a ballroom and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the border between Uruguay and Argentina. While the...

By Antoinette Raheem Many of us cannot count the number of times we have looked at the day’s news, been saddened, discouraged and sometimes overwhelmed by it, and felt helpless to do anything about what we witnessed.  Our feeling of helplessness no doubt arose from...

By Lisa Taylor For those attorneys who thrive only when they are enmeshed in the combat of litigation, this article is not for you. Although I have been an attorney for over 30 years, I became a full-time mediator 14 years ago to focus on settlement instead of...

  By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator   This is the first in a series of “From the Field” columns describing mediator techniques you might find useful in your own practice.  I call this issue’s technique “The Value of Closure.”  I learned it from...

.         By Robert E. L. Wright, Mediator & Arbitrator... First Appearing in the Oakland County Legal News May 2022. Allowing parties to make their own choices and come to their own decisions regarding the outcome of a dispute is a fundamental...

Harshitha Ram The magnifying global economy largely depends on international business to counter uncertainties in global transactions. A crucial aspect of preserving an enduring business relationship is to choose the right mechanism to resolve disputes. Often...

  By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator   In the following article, the mediator helps counsel prepare and educate their clients as to the ups and downs of the negotiation process likely to be encountered during the mediation. Introduction For many,...

      Richard L. Hurford An Old Time Tactic with a New Twist-Should Mock Mediations be Considered? A litigation lifetime ago, when jury trials and bench trials were at least ten times more likely to occur than they are today (less than 1% of civil lawsuits...

  William Louis Weber, Jr.December 9, 1934 - October 17, 2021 William Louis Weber, Jr., of Kenmore, Washington (formerly from Beverly Hills, Michigan) passed away peacefully surrounded by his beloved wife, Bridget and five devoted children William III and his wife...

  By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator Introduction1Because no two disputes are precisely alike, the best tools for settling them are probably not the same, either. Fortunately, mediation is a flexible process, which can be tailored to meet the unique aspects...

   Joe Basta “It’s not fair!” How many times have mediators and negotiators heard that refrain? Whether from the mouth of the negotiator across the table or the politician seeking higher taxes, everyone wants their “fair share.” But what is ‘”fairness” anyway? Is...

  Richard L. Hurford In last month’s ADR Spotlight, my PREMI colleague, Laura Athens, authored an incredibly insightful and important article on the psychology of conflict and how litigants process information when in conflict.  As this discussion goes to the heart of...

Laura A. Athens “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need. ”The Rolling Stones, “Let It Bleed,” 1969 -  The success of a mediation lies in the willingness to collaborate. Understanding each other’s perspective, needs and...

  Lee Hornberger Introduction The Destruction of the Bismarck,[1] Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu,[2] and Vietnam: A History [3] are three books that I read yearly. Bismarck explains how Great Britain, with some confidential background American...

  By William D. Gilbride Jr. Published: ADR Spotlight October 2020 What is the authority of an arbitrator to issue third-party subpoenas for the pre-hearing production of documents and to compel deposition testimony in a matter where the parties’ inter se arbitration...

  SUPER LAWYERS, a national publication that selects attorneys nominated by their peers, evaluated by third party research and reviewed by a highly credentialed blue-ribbon panel of attorneys has named nine PREMi members as SUPER LAWYERS. Those honored include: GENE...

  By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator During the state of emergency, courts have been working at less than full capacity. While no two courts are the same, none have conducted business as usual since mid-March, and there will likely be backlogs as a result....

  Earlene R. Baggett-Hayes Writing articles on ADR is considered as one of the many opportunities for imparting information on specific ADR subjects, expanding tool kits for effective ADR performance, and embellishing one’s ADR career. Recently, in reviewing potential...

                    Jerome F. Rock - As an Arbitrator, I have long encouraged the use of Narrative or Written Witness Statements as a vehicle for introducing the direct testimony of witnesses under the control of a party at the Arbitration Hearing. Responding to...