MEDIATION

We live in divisive times when any dispute can escalate into litigation and broken relationships. We have become a chronically litigious society. Fortunately, the vast majority of lawsuits are resolved short of trial. When a case goes to trial, the states are high and the outcome is never certain. A judge or jury of 12 strangers may not see your case or your defense the same way you do. It is a zero sum game. One side wins, one side loses. Given the costs, even the winning side may see it as a pyrrhic victory.

A mediated settlement, however, allows the parties to resolve their dispute on their own terms — to hear each other out, consider points and arguments they may not have previously, to compromise and come to a negotiated resolution where both sides can claim a measure of victory and avoid total defeat. 

If you choose Mike Roden as your mediator, he will familiarize himself with your case by reviewing the materials sent. If appropriate, he will ask each side to prepare a settlement statement, setting forth the key facts each respective side wants him to know, how the law applies to those facts, and what each believes would be a reasonable resolution. A mediation will then be set for a mutually-agreed upon date, where Mike will meet with the parties and their attorneys and commence a dialogue with the aim of reaching a mutually satisfactory outcome. Remember — the perfect settlement is one where both sides are neither totally victorious and happy, nor totally defeated and dispirited.

Michael Roden is a trained mediator, listed by the Tennessee Supreme Court under Rule 31, with 40 years of federal court experience, the last 32 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Over his long career, Mike has handled just about every type of civil litigation, and has earned a reputation among his peers as a persuasive and effective consensus builder.  

FEES: $400 per hour
Daily minimum of $450