Mediation
Mediation Services
Mediation can be your best opportunity to negotiate a resolution that preserves what’s most important to you.
What Is Mediation? · Why Mediation? · Why Choose Equiveras? · Types of Cases · Pricing · Schedule · Cancellation Policy
What Is Mediation?
Mediation is a collaborative, confidential negotiation where parties to a dispute meet to resolve a conflict voluntarily. The mediation is conducted by an impartial mediator (also called a neutral) who facilitates communication between the parties. There are numerous ways to conduct a mediation, but most often each party discusses its position with the mediator in confidence, separate from the other parties, and the mediator alternates between rooms to convey each party’s position and see where agreement can be reached. The goal is to reach a settlement at the mediation that will be binding on all parties, thus resolving the dispute and ending any litigation. Although a court may order parties to attend mediation, whether the parties choose to settle is voluntary, and the mediator has no authority to impose a settlement on the parties. Mediation can occur at any stage of a dispute, from pre-litigation through the final appeals process.
Why Mediation?
Deciding to mediate does not mean giving up, surrendering, or signaling weakness. In fact, mediation allows your strongest arguments to be heard by the mediator and communicated to the other side. As a neutral mediator, my job is to listen to both sides, hear what’s important to you, suggest solutions you may not have considered, facilitate communication with the other side, and see where both sides can come to an agreement. Mediation can be your best opportunity to negotiate a resolution that preserves what’s most important to you.
Once your dispute proceeds to litigation, many of the decisions about process and the resolution itself are beyond your control. Court rules and rulings must be obeyed, information and documents must be provided to the other side (and it will likely be more than you wish to provide), and both sides must cooperate to facilitate the discovery process (or appear before a judge for possible sanctions if they don’t). Then, after that process is concluded and you proceed to summary judgment or trial, the outcome is in the hands of a judge or jury. However strong you think your case is, the judge or jury may disagree. Even if they do, that does not mean your case is over, as the other side may decide to appeal. This process can and will likely extend over years of your life. Resolving a dispute through mediation cuts through the process, saves you time and money, and gives you more control over the final outcome.
The greatest benefit of reaching a settlement through mediation is finality—no more looking for or reviewing documents, appearing for depositions, waiting for court rulings, enduring appeals, or wondering if or when you will ultimately “win” your case. I am committed to helping you reach a resolution and, if we don’t reach a final settlement at the mediation, can continue to work with you for as long as necessary so you can close the door on litigation and gain the freedom to move forward with your life.
Why Choose Equiveras?
I have two decades of investigation, litigation, and negotiation experience from an uncommon perspective. As a government attorney, I valued the ability to review complaints, investigations, and cases from a neutral perspective. Because my focus was the public interest, I could set aside many considerations that other plaintiff-side attorneys can’t, such as attorney’s fees. I often found myself serving in a mediator role between the individuals who had alleged they had been harmed and their attorneys (if they were represented), and the defendants and their attorneys. Because I had no personal stake in the dispute, I could often see what neither side could and provide a valuable perspective. I have experience explaining to both plaintiffs and defendants the practical risks of litigation and the benefits of settlement.
Training
- Mediating the Litigated Case, a 40-hour mediation training course offered by Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. Consistently recognized as one of the best mediator training programs available.
- Settlement Conference Panelist Training with the Center for Dialogue & Resolution in Pierce County.
- Multiple trainings hosted by DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in trauma-informed interviewing and unconscious bias, which I consider invaluable in understanding people and fostering communication between plaintiffs and defendants.
Types of Cases
Because mediators are neutral facilitators, I can mediate most types of cases. The parties provide me with information about the case prior to the mediation, and I prepare accordingly.
My areas of expertise include:
- Cases in which a federal, state, or local government entity is a party
- Reasonable accommodations
- Accessibility
- Sexual harassment
- Retaliation
- Housing discrimination
- Land use and zoning, including group homes and religious land use
Mediation Pricing
Mediation should always be an option for all types of disputes, and I firmly believe that mediation should be priced so that lawyers and clients are encouraged to give it a try.
Unless the parties agree otherwise, each separately-represented party pays an equal share of the total mediation fee.
Full-day Mediation
$3,000
Includes 2 hours of mediation preparation time and up to 8 hours of mediation time. Additional preparation or mediation time will be billed at $450 per hour.
Half-day Mediation
$2,000
Includes 2 hours of mediation preparation time and up to 4 hours of mediation time. Additional preparation or mediation time will be billed at $450 per hour.
Additional Parties: For all mediations, there is an additional surcharge of $500 for each separately-represented party beyond the first two.
Schedule a Mediation
Clicking below will allow you to see my availability and place a hold on a mediation date. Once you have booked the date, you will receive an email from Equiveras with a form that will collect the details of the mediation, including the nature of the dispute and identities of the parties. Once I have reviewed the details and confirmed that I can conduct the mediation, I will send a Mediation Agreement to all parties for signature and the date will be confirmed.
Note on Availability: My availability for mediation is not limited to particular days of the week, but I conduct a maximum of three mediations per week. Once the available sessions are filled for a particular week, the other days will be marked as unavailable.
Cancellation Policy
Please remember that when you book a mediation date, that date is no longer available to others to schedule their mediation. To ensure that Equiveras can continue to provide cost-effective resolutions and serve as many clients as possible, the following cancellation fees will apply:
| Cancellation or Reschedule Request Received By Equiveras | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| After 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time three business days prior to the mediation date | Full mediation fee |
| Less than 10 calendar days but before 5:00 p.m. (PT) three business days prior to the mediation date | 50% of each party’s portion of the mediation fee, unless Equiveras is able to schedule another mediation for that date |
| Less than 30 days but 10 or more calendar days prior to the scheduled mediation | $250 per party, unless Equiveras is able to schedule another mediation for that date |
| 30 or more days prior to the mediation date | No fee |