By Erin Gleason Alvarez and Rick Richardson

As co-chairs of the Mediation Committee, we are pleased to announce the release of the Mediation Best Practices Guide for In-house Counsel: Make Mediation Work for You.  The Guide will be launched as part of the CPR Institute Annual Meeting in Atlanta from March 8 through 10, 2018.

Make Mediation Work for You was inspired by conversations among in-house counsel that have arisen in the Committee.  What is the best way to convince counterparties that mediating early is a good thing?  How do you best prepare for mediation?  Should you always accept a counterparties’ suggestion on the mediator?  What is the best way to keep negotiations going if the mediation concludes without settlement?

The Guide answers all of these questions and includes insider tips from in-house counsel throughout.  Make Mediation Work for You begins with a discussion on when to contemplate mediation and then takes the in-house reader though every step in the process: from convening the process and making negotiations plans before the in-person session to creative solutions for overcoming impasse and structuring a settlement agreement.

Make Mediation Work for You will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for CPR members.  We are grateful to the Mediation Committee members for their efforts in creating this important guide, most notably John Bickerman, David Brodsky, David Burt, Steve Comen, Steve Gilbert, Duncan MacKay, Chris Mason, Judy Meyer, Meef Moh, and Mike Timmons.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Annual Meeting next week!

Erin Gleason Alvarez and Rick Richardson co-chair the CPR Mediation Committee.  Rick serves as Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Dispute Resolution and Prevention for GSK.  Erin is the former Global Head of ADR Program for AIG; she now has her own mediation and arbitration practice and is a member of the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals