Charlotte Employment Law Mediation Services
Chris Strianese serves as an employment law mediator in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. While he now practices plaintiff-side employment law, he spent nearly a decade practicing defense-side employment law for a large law firm. Because he has been on both sides, he brings a unique perspective to the mediation process, and has had significant success in bringing parties together to resolve employment disputes.
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a settlement-conference process that helps parties to resolve legal disputes. Often, mediation will allow the parties to reach faster and better economic results that they would achieve in litigation. Most cases that mediate are successful in reaching a settlement.
Mediation is confidential and Chris Strianese, as mediator, will not disclose information from the mediation to any third-party. Information exchanged in the mediation cannot be used as evidence in the legal dispute.
The decision to attend mediation is usually voluntary, although in some instances it can be court-ordered. Courts sometimes order parties to engage in mediation because judges understand that mediation can be a highly effective avenue of resolving disputes. Even where parties’ attendance at the mediation is ordered by a court, their decisions about whether to settle the case (and what the terms of the settlement will be) are their own.
What is the Mediation Process?
Mr. Strianese provides effective and flexible mediation services in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. He will work hard to bring the parties together while also being respectful of the litigants’ positions. While he does not provide legal advice to either party, he will use his employment law experience to point out the risks inherent in employment litigation and the areas of potential common ground between the parties.
The mediation process generally proceeds as follows:
First, you should contact the other party to see whether they will agree to attend mediation. If the other party agrees to mediation, you can contact Chris Strianese to arrange mediation services.
Before the mediation, Mr. Strianese generally requests that the parties submit mediation statements and exhibits that may be helpful. However, mediation is designed to be a flexible process, and the parties may elect not to submit a statement. If the parties do submit mediation statements, the parties can request that certain information be kept confidential and not disclosed to the other side. Mr. Strianese will review in detail all information submitted by the parties.
A one day mediation session can be scheduled promptly at any location the parties agree upon. At the mediation session, Mr. Strianese will facilitate the discussion acting as an independent intermediary between the parties. He will assist the parties in exchanging information and settlement offers. He uses his knowledge of the employment law system to give each party feedback on the potential strengths and risks in their case.
What Does A Mediation Cost?
Mr. Strianese charges a flat fee of $2,000 for mediation services. This flat fee includes all mediation services and does not increase based on hours spent, travel time, preparation time, etc., which is all included in the fee. You and the other party could agree to split the fee 50/50, or that one party will pay the full fee, or any other arrangement you prefer.
Mediation is designed to be a flexible process and Mr. Strianese is happy to discuss a custom mediation process to suit the parties’ needs.