Schedule Mediation with Lee Wallace
By Mediator Lee Wallace
© 2019
Want to kill a mediation?
These three statements will do it!
Most mediations start with a joint conference. The conference is a great opportunity to make sure everyone is operating from the same set of facts, and to impress both your client and the other side. Since it sets the tone for the rest of the mediation, you want the joint conference to go well. So here are three things you should NEVER say during your opening statement.
The point of mediation is to settle the case, and what you do — including what you say during the opening statement — should help you toward your goal, not steer you away from it.
1 — “It’s all your fault.”
A contentious opening statement sets the wrong tone. If what you say puts your opponent on the defensive or makes him angry, your chances of settling the case plummet. So while you want to appear confident and knowledgeable, you also want to be reasonable and pleasant. Save the blame-game for the jury; you will have plenty of time to present that side of your case if you don’t settle at mediation.
2 — “Here is a bunch of new information that changes the value of the case.”
If at all possible, you want to be sure the other side has all the information they need to evaluate the case well in advance of the mediation. If you offer brand-new information on the day of the mediation, it reduces your chances of settling the case at all, and drastically reduces the chances you can settle at the mediation.
When you bring new and different information to the mediation, parties have to reevaluate on the fly — which is never an easy proposition, psychologically.
In addition, on a practical level, some of the parties may have a difficult time responding to information they learn for the first time on the day of mediation. For example, the defendant and the adjuster may not be able to trace their way through the steps to raise their authority level. Similarly, government attorneys are not likely to be able to track down all of the players who have to approve a change of direction.
3 — “I know we demanded (offered) $x before, but we are going to have to demand more (offer less) now.”
Nothing kills a mediation faster than violating the expectations of the other side. If at all possible, you do not want to start a mediation by taking your demand higher, or your offer lower.
Assuming you find yourself in the very rare circumstance where you feel that the initial offer or demand was incorrect, how should you handle the situation?
I recently had a mediation where a defense lawyer handled just that situation, brilliantly. He came in and said, “I was not the prior attorney on this case, and now that I have evaluated it, I think the first offer was too high. BUT — I am not going to go backwards on our offer. I am just telling you I do not have much room.” And he stuck to his guns and got a very reasonable settlement for his client.
That was a wise attorney. Had he come in and said, “I think the first offer was too high, so I am going to reduce it. Here’s our new, lower number,” the case probably would not have settled.
If, due to an error, you have absolutely no choice but to lower the offer (or raise the demand) in order to be fair to your client, then so be it. But your best shot at settling the case is if you let the other side know, well in advance of mediation, that you need to change the offer or demand, and why. The opposing counsel will then have time to reevaluate the case and discuss the situation with his client.
Read more at Lee’s mediation blog site
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What Attorneys Are Saying About Mediating with Lee:
“Lee had the intellect necessary to get a really difficult case settled even where the odds were stacked against her. I would use Lee to mediate any of my cases.”
A. Joffe
“Lee helped get a case settled that I never would have imagined would have settled that day when I walked into that mediation. Opposing counsel and I had drastically different views of the case, as did our clients. Yet, with Lee’s knowledge, experience, and preparation, she was able to lead us to a resolution that my clients were satisfied with. I look forward to using Lee again in the future!”
A. Grubbs
“Lee’s calm reasoning and creative solutions helped us to resolve a challenging case when one side was willing to walk away and the other side would not budge on their number. She worked hard to find a compromise when none seemed possible.”
B. Strothers
“Lee brings to her mediations a wealth of experience from which all parties can draw. Her impressive ability to marry the case facts to negotiation strategy aided in the just resolution of our case.”
N. Campbell
“Lee was prepared, having read all the documentation I had forwarded her pre-mediation, and she did an outstanding job in getting a difficult case settled. I look forward to using BAY Mediation and Lee in the future.”
M. Smith
“Lee Wallace helped us resolve a case that I did not believe could be resolved. As an initial challenge we had multiple parties, several of whom had to join by remote video conference. The details of the case were also challenging [and] there were widely disparate views regarding case value. Lee was resolute, objective, and prepared. While her 30 years of trial experience and breadth of knowledge on a variety of legal issues were invaluable, her kind and logical demeanor got this case resolved. I must confess at one point I was ready to storm off myself in frustration at the other party, but Lee encouraged me to stick with it and keep working. I’m so glad she did!”
A. Long
“It was a pleasure working with Lee T. Wallace during the mediation process. She pushed both sides to continue to fight through the process and not give up. And because of her vigorous determination I was able to settle my client’s claim to their satisfaction.”
S. Carson
“Lee did an effective and efficient job getting this case to a successful resolution. She takes a low key approach to make sure each side does not feel undue pressure to increase their offer or decrease their demand. I will definitely use Lee for future mediations.”
J. Brown
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