ADR Prof Blog by Andrea Schneider, Michael Moffitt, Sarah Cole,Art Hinshaw, Jill Gross and Cynthia Alkon.
The Federal Circuit recently handed down its decision in the CEATS v. Continental case. If I were teaching Mediation this year, I’d spend some real time on it.
Quick summary (oversimplifying for purposes of clarity here): Mediator appointed to patent case. Case didn’t wind up settling, and it proceeded to trial. After jury verdict, losing party discovered that the mediator had a prior relationship with the prevailing party. Losing party seeks FRCP 60(b) relief. Court says, “Yes, mediator should have disclosed the relationship, but no, relief from judgment is not available.”
Lots in there worthy of time and consideration. How did the court come to cite and apply things like the Model Standards of Conduct to this mediator? What, if any, consequences could there be for failure to disclose? (Private liability, as I’ve written previously, here, unlikely to be successful.) If the presence of a subsequent jury trial stands as evidence of a cure of any alleged prior mediator misconduct, what incentives does that create within mediation? Does the conflict rule applied to judges and arbitrators make sense for mediators? Etc.
From the Blog of Phyllis G. Pollack. My husband is a customs lawyer. He specializes in import-export law and international trade. Thus, for the most part, he represents importers...
By Phyllis PollackGregg Walker of the School of Communication at Oregon State University and Todd Jarvis of the Conflict Resolution Program at the University of Oregon, USA have been approached by Edward...
By Todd JarvisMediators get tired. The levels of concentration and attentiveness, combined with the intensity of context, create conditions both demanding and draining. Sometimes we get so tired we end up leaving...
By Michael Jacobs