How to Get Value from Your ERISA Mediation

ERISA benefits litigation is by and large a streamlined form of litigation that involves an expeditious trial usually based on the administrative record, with no witnesses. Lawyers who do this kind of work are sensitive to the factual nuances of ERISA benefits cases and the risks posed by taking chances before the district or magistrate judge.

Most of these cases are either settled by the lawyers themselves or in mediation. The lawyers and parties are usually very well prepared, but it is usually the plaintiff’s first and probably only experience with the process. Therefore, the process must address the discomfort that the individual plaintiffs experience, even if the setting is much more informal than the courtroom.

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What Is the Difference between Mediation and Arbitration?

People often ask me what the difference is between mediation and arbitration. Both are among the most common forms of alternative dispute resolution. These “alternatives” avoid the more expensive and time-consuming method of resolving disputes in court.

Mediation is an informal proceeding in which a third party neutral, the mediator, works with the parties, and their attorneys if they have them, to facilitate a settlement of the dispute. The mediator does not make any decisions about the case.

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