Presenting your Best Case in L&E Arbitration and Mediation – The View from the Bench (Presented by The Federal Bar Association Labor & Employment Law & Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections & Judiciary Division)

Moderator Hon. Mimi Tsankov (Ret.) | JAMS

Mimi Tsankov recently joined the Labor Panels of both JAMS and the American Arbitration Association following nearly 20 years of service as an administrative judge with the U.S. Department of Justice, including a decade devoted specifically to labor and employment matters. Over the course of her career, she has presided over thousands of administrative proceedings and consistently managed a civil administrative docket of more than 3,000 cases. Ms. Tsankov has also held numerous leadership roles in the international legal community, including serving as President of the IFPTE Judicial Council 2 (NAIJ), a national labor organization. She recently completed her terms as Chair of both the ABA Judicial Division’s National Conference of the Administrative Law Judiciary and the Federal Bar Association’s Judiciary Division. In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association, been elected Vice President for Publications of the National Association of Women Judges, and has been an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School since 2018.

Laurel Stevenson | United States District Court

Laurel Stevenson is the Director of the Mediation and Assessment Program (MAP) for the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri. She oversees approximately 1,000 civil cases annually and serves as a mediator and facilitator. She also trains judges, neutrals, students, staff and others on effective and ethical use of ADR. She co-chairs the ABA’s Court ADR Committee within the DR Section and is the Editor of The Resolver, a publication of the FBA’s ADR Section. Laurel has conducted hundreds of mediations, including more than 300 via Zoom. Her ADR work includes class actions, insurance, FLSA, employment, MDL’s, civil rights, inmate litigation, wrongful death, transportation, medical malpractice, and commercial disputes. Several resolutions have resulted in institutional policy changes. Prior to her current position, Laurel tried more than eighty jury trials to verdict, served as appellate counsel, was lead trial counsel in numerous bench trials, and taught trial practice in Missouri and Texas. She served more than a decade as a Facilitator for the Missouri Bar Complaint Resolution Program and the Fee Dispute Resolution Program. She also served as a mediator, arbitrator, and facilitator during her last twelve years in private practice.

Lori Adelson | Miles Mediation & Arbitration

At Miles Mediation & Arbitration (aka Approved Dispute Resolution LLC), we are committed to facilitating meaningful solutions to legal disputes. Led by Lori Adelson, Esq., we concentrate our practice on strategic, creative, and innovative approaches to conflict resolution. Our focus is on personalized interactions and effective communication to help parties find common ground. With deep experience in mediation, employment dispute resolution, and early neutral evaluation analysis, Lori Adelson is respected for her unbiased and knowledgeable approach. We are dedicated to resolving complex disputes efficiently and effectively for individuals and businesses alike.

I. Mimi Tsankov provides speaker introductions and offers a framework for the webinar discussion. She outlines the core issues in labor & employment arbitration and mediations, and explains what the “view from the bench means in context | 2:00pm – 2:08pm

II. Laurel Stevenson presents: a) how arbitrators evaluate labor & employment matters; b) the key elements of a compelling case presentation; c) evidence organization and witness strategy; and d) avoidable pitfalls arbitrators commonly observe | 2:08pm – 2:18pm

III. Mimi Tsankov moderates follow-up questions | 2:18pm – 2:23pm

IV. Lori Adelson presents tips for presenting your best case in a mediation focusing on the following: a) understanding mediator expectations; b) describing effective advocacy without adversarial posturing; c) preparing clients for mediation; and d) strategic use of openings, caucuses, and negotiation pacing | 2:23pm – 2:35pm

V. Mimi Tsankov moderates follow-up questions | 2:35pm – 2:40pm

VI. Mimi Tsankov, Laurel Stevenson, Lori Adelson engage in an interactive discussion about differences in bench perspectives focusing on real-world scenarios, describing what persuades arbitrators and mediators most, and common mistakes and how to correct them | 2:42pm – 2:52pm

VII. Mimi Tsankov moderates a live audience Q&A | 2:52pm – 3:00pm