Arbitration & Mediation Lawyers and Attorneys

Attorneys in this category resolve disputes outside a courtroom. Mediation is voluntary and non-binding: a neutral helps the parties reach their own agreement. Arbitration is adjudication in private, with an arbitrator issuing a decision that is usually binding and very difficult to appeal.

Some of these lawyers serve as neutrals — mediators and arbitrators — and others represent parties in the process. Both roles appear in commercial, employment, construction, family and international matters, and a great many contracts now require arbitration before anyone can go to court.

Before you hire

• Check your contract first. Whether a dispute must be arbitrated, under which rules, and in which city, is normally decided by a clause signed long before the argument started.
• If you want a neutral, ask about subject-matter background and how many cases they have mediated or arbitrated in your field.
• If you need representation, ask how the fee compares with litigating. Arbitration is faster but arbitrator fees are paid by the parties.
• Remember that binding arbitration trades away appeal rights. That is a genuine cost, not a formality.

Business law and construction law cover the disputes most often routed here.