Early Mediation in Your Civil Litigation Case: A Time and Cost Saver, or a Waste of Time and Money?
September 19, 2022 | Joan M. Quade
The short answer is that it depends. But there are many cases where, with hindsight, we can say that it would have been beneficial to try early mediation. There are some cases where we tried early mediation and they settled before the parties spent a lot of money and time. These are usually the happiest litigants. In my 35 years as a lawyer and advocate for litigants, in many different types of civil litigation cases, and my years as a mediator and an arbitrator, I can tell you that there are many cases that would, and many that did, do well in early mediation. There are also many more cases, especially in the last years, that should have tried early mediation and settled. Litigation should be a last resort for dispute resolution. It costs too much, and it takes too long. Good lawyers, who have a thorough understanding of the law and experience in the litigation process, and who are representing reasonable clients, should be able to negotiate a settlement with the help of a skilled mediator. More and more the parties wish, as they slog through the litigation process, that they would have settled earlier in the process, instead of spending the money and time it takes to litigate. 96% of all cases settle…
Read MoreBGS Transportation Team Celebrates Another Successful Appearance at the Minnesota Trucking Association Annual Conference
September 14, 2022 | Carole Clark IsaksonAs it has for many years, BGS was a sponsor of the Minnesota Trucking Association’s annual conference, held this year at Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria. The conference is a great opportunity to connect with trucking companies and transportation officials in a relaxed and fun setting. Included in conference activities were golf and other social events, as well as educational sessions on business topics important to the industry. BGS sponsored the keynote speaker, David Horsager. David is CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute and inventor of The Enterprise Trust Index™, director of the annual study – The Trust Outlook™, and the bestselling author of The Trust Edge. He provided a dynamic and engaging presentation on the critical nature of trust in all business relationships. BGS’ own attorney Erik Ordahl had the opportunity to introduce this amazing keynote speaker. BGS Attorneys Jim Wills (a former long term MTA board member) and Carole Clark Isakson (a current board member of the MTA Foundation) introduced associate BGS attorney Erik Ordahl and BGS paralegal Rachel Schwankl to all things trucking, including the truck expo sponsored by Blaine Brothers. While most industries can field an interesting conference, we’re pretty sure that only a trucking conference features a parking lot exhibit of huge new trucks! If you can manage the…
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