Robertson Stromberg Pedersen LLP’s lawyers have amassed countless hours of successful litigation before all levels of the courts, but often it is in the client’s best interest to settle disputes outside of the courtroom.  Well trained and highly skilled, several of RSP’s lawyers have extensive experience assisting clients with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), shepherding them through arbitration, mediation or conciliation, often more efficiently, quickly and cost-effectively than traditional litigation.

In arbitration, the parties to a dispute agree to appoint a third-party arbitrator (or a three person arbitration board) and to abide by their decision (called an “Award”).  Arbitration is the norm in resolving disputes in unionized work-places and is also commonly used in resolving commercial disputes.

Mediation utilizes a mediator who facilitates communication between the parties to a dispute and helps the parties negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to everyone involved.  

Conciliation is similar to mediation, but the parties decide in advance whether or not they will agree to the recommendations of the appointed conciliator.

See our sections on “Arbitration”, “Collaborative Family Law”, and “Mediation” for more specific information on Arbitration as it applies to employment law in unionized work-places; Collaborative Law as it relates to family law disputes and Mediation as a dispute resolution mechanism.