In the case of two American diamond jewelry retailers at odds over an advertising campaign, a judge has ruled that the two firms must hash out their differences with a mediator, Diamond Intelligence reports. The federal court judge in Ohio said that Sterling Jewelers and the Zale Corporation must come to agreement by May 2. read

Court says city of Stockton, California may proceed with bankruptcy read

An alleged comment that "women don't like to do that job", and other discussions at an Ontario Labour Relations Board safety-reprisal mediation, were privileged and could not form the basis for a discrimination complaint, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has decided. read

In 2008, one billion gallons of ash spilled out of a retention pond at TVA's Kingston fossil plant.  Representatives for the plaintiffs and TVA asked for the extension due to the complexity of the case. More than 600 people are involved. read

Artist rendering of the proposed Las Vegas National Sports Complex in Henderson. read

Mr Justice Peter Kelly says mediation is on the rise but still underutilised. read

The Indiana Supreme Court is ordering mediation in the Lake Superior Court judges and magistrates' legal tussle over how to fill the Lake Juvenile Court vacancy. read

If the law is to stay relevant to the challenges presented by global and online business, the system must be reinvented to adapt to the new realities of a networked world. read

The United States has quietly taken on the huge task of trying to organize regional ballistic missile defense networks, not only among NATO countries but also among nations in East Asia and the Middle East. read

A weeklong "global mediation" slated to begin April 15 in Seattle will seek a broad settlement for two comprehensive sex abuse lawsuits pending against the diocese of Helena, Mont., and the Ursuline Sisters. More than 360 plaintiffs, several insurance carriers, the Helena diocese and Ursuline Sisters will be represented at the Seattle gathering to negotiate culpability and potential financial awards for sex abuse claims against priests. read

A respected litigation lawyer has urged the county’s families to consider mediation as an alternative to costly courtroom battles – as the number of disputed wills has soared. read

When battle lines are drawn between citizens or journalists asking for public documents and the agencies being asked to release them, forging a truce between the two sides can score a victory for common sense as well as good government. read

An International Survey on Dispute Resolution in Technology Transactions conducted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center reveals that less than 2% of technology agreements lead to formal dispute proceedings, but that these proceedings are generally costly and time-consuming. read

The Anti-Bullying Secret Weapon is mediation – peer mediation conducted by elementary, middle school and high school students all over the country. read

Court-ordered mediation in a federal lawsuit challenging the $650 million deepening of the Savannah River shipping channel resumes this week. read

The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) formed a Patent Mediation Task Force to analyze methods and solutions for improving the use and efficiency of mediation in patent disputes. read

Rudeness, profanity and inadequate police service are among the allegations that can now lead to a mediation session between Austin police officers and the members of the public who complain about them, according to Police Department policy. read

Mediation should be a useful tool in resolving an international financial crisis, but it hasn't been much in evidence of late. As a result, trust between nations is urgently required to build it up again. This time it was Cyprus. read

A peer mediation system, introduced in 50 schools in the Aegean province of Izmir seven years ago, will soon be introduced to several schools in Istanbul because it has been seen as a successful method to reduce the number of school fights significantly through the aid of student mediators who help resolve disputes between pupils who are at odds with one another. read

Sixty-two Belizeans are now trained conflict mediators, thanks to a program designed by the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) in the U.S. Department of State. read

The Supreme Court took up the question of arbitration again yesterday in the case of Oxford Health Plans vs. Sutter, and once again the conservative justices seemed skeptical that the process designed to keep disputes out of court should be open to class actions at all. read

Agreement between the government of Sudan and JEM-Sudan initialed today read

By the time they agreed to talk, Mr. Obama had fully embraced the role of Middle East mediator, warming up Mr. Erdogan before handing the phone to Mr. Netanyahu, who expressed regret for the deadly actions by Israeli commandos during a 2010 raid on a Turkish ship that was trying to breach a blockade of Gaza. read

Although suitable for highly technical commercial cases, arbiters are not a ‘one size fit all’ solution. read

The arbitration business is growing in Canada, and this year’s Chambers Global list of Canadian top arbitrators demonstrates that Canada is home to some of the world’s best. read

In Compton v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, No. B236669 (2d Dist. Mar. 19, 2013), a divided panel of the Second District Court of Appeal reversed the Los Angeles Superior Court’s order compelling arbitration of her wage-and-hour class action complaint. read

A modernised Mediation Service designed to make it cheaper and quicker for small businesses to resolve their intellectual property disputes was announced today (Thursday) by Intellectual Property (IP) Minister, Lord Younger. read

The repossession of an Okato farm owing $5.6 million to Rabobank has sparked calls for a debt mediation bill to be passed in Parliament. Evicted farmer Kelvin Gray says he will fight to the bitter end to get his farm back. read

International arbitration has become the norm for resolving international commercial disputes. Commercial parties engaged in cross-border business opt for international arbitration over proceeding through domestic courts due to perceived advantages of efficiency, the ability to appoint a specialized arbitrator and finality. However, it is increasingly important that parties understand the impact that the arbitration process and the venue of the arbitration have on recourse available in the event one or both of the parties are dissatisfied with the arbitral award. read

t is generally assumed as a matter of commercial dealings that arbitration proceedings will be both private and confidential. The first assumption is essentially correct. Arbitrations are private in that third parties who are not a party to the arbitration agreement cannot attend any hearings or play any part in the arbitration proceedings. The second assumption, since the 1990s, is not. read

Goldman Sachs Group Inc on Thursday won a U.S. court order allowing it to send a former employee's gender discrimination claim to arbitration, rather than being forced to defend against her claims in a class action lawsuit. read

US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies is currently staying in Moscow. At the talks with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov he discussed a sharp worsening of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. read

Courts will require people to use mediation when legal aid for the majority of family law cases ends on April 1. read

A lawyer for IMF chief Christine Lagarde says French investigators have searched her Paris home as part of an inquiry into her role in a $400 million arbitration deal in favor of a tycoon. read

Judge Berman told participants on both sides that Senior Judge Barbara Rothstein will preside over the mediation. read

The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu announced today the establishment of a specialized Peace, Security and Mediation Unit (PSMU) at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. read

A federal judge has referred a dispute over millions of dollars of attorneys' fees related to the $3.4 billion settlement of the Cobell class-action lawsuit to a special magistrate for mediation. read

Patent litigation continues to be a booming business. While that may be good news for lawyers in private practice, it presents serious concerns for in-house counsel. These hotly contested and protracted cases can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to prosecute or defend. In view of these risks, in-house counsel should consider ways to minimize financial exposure to their companies. Mediation is one such option. Here are some tips for the successful mediation of a patent case. read

The medical device industry remains a hotbed for non-compete litigation, and the reason is plain and simple. Economic justification. Sales reps develop close relationships with surgeons who purchase millions of dollars worth of medical devices each year. read

Gov. John Kitzhaber signed a bill Monday creating a new process for patients, doctors and health care providers to mediate disputes over medical errors. read

The Israeli and Palestinian Arab business communities have picked Rifat Hisarciklioglu to head the Jerusalem Arbitration Center (JAC), which mediates commercial conflicts between the two sides. read

Dominican Republic on Monday accepted the Canadian government’s proposal to mediate in the conflict over contractual terms under which Barrick Gold operates the mine in Pueblo Viejo, Cotuí (northeast). read

The city's mediation program can help community members save money, time and relationships.With the solid backing from the City of Mountain View, clients are referred by the city, district attorney, Internet, flyers/brochures, neighbors/friends, and police and fire departments. read

A federal judge has ordered mediation in a lawsuit over congressional efforts to get records related to Operation Fast and Furious, a bungled federal gun-tracking operation in Arizona. read

Beaumont Children’s Hospital’s NoBLE anti-bullying program teams up with Oakland Mediation Center. read

Now that she has a fellow countryman in a very high place, the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has indirectly suggested that Jorge Mario Bergoglio (i.e., the newly elected Pope Francis) could mediate over the disputed Falklands Islands, which Great Britain and Argentina both claim sovereignty over. read

The Judiciary of Fiji will continue to use mediation as a means to resolve matters quicker. read

Foreclosure mediation program in high demand

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A prominent lawyer explains why it can be the best way to settle estate disputes read

A five year feud between two of Tampa Bay's most notorious radio shock jocks has ended, and both sides are claiming victory. read

A bill to encourage mediation in disputes over medical errors is expected to be signed into law in what supporters say is a step — if small — in the direction of malpractice reform. read

EU Shoppers will soon be able to use a mediation scheme when they run into a problem with an online or cross-border purchase. Members of the European Parliament endorsed, on 12 March, the directive on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and the draft regulation setting up an online dispute resolution (ODR) platform These measures still have to be approved formally in Council and are expected to be fully operational from 1 January 2016. read

I, along with many of my colleagues, introduced a bill that would support peaceful and lasting resolution to conflicts on issues ranging from child-custody legislation to intergovernmental disputes. This legislation creates an Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution, which would be housed at the Bureau of Mediation Services, and would work to support peaceful, efficient and lasting resolutions to conflicts. read

A judge has referred all parties in a lawsuit aimed at preventing electronics giant LG from building a 143-foot tall building along the Palisades to enter mediation. read

In a suit alleging negligent care of a resident, the court ruled that the arbitration agreement was not enforceable because the resident never signed it. read

With the global military and economic presence in Afghanistan beginning to ebb, leaders of the war-torn nation continue to face severe problems but the United Nations is an unlikely mediator for peace in the region. read

Connecticut’s insurance department is proposing a new program that would offer a mediation option to resolve claims disputes between homeowners and their insurance companies that arise from catastrophes, such as hurricanes. read

Simply put, mediation is faster, cheaper and better. read

After almost three weeks of testimony, the judge overseeing the lawsuits that Macy’s brought against J. C. Penney and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has sent the parties into mediation. If the companies do not reach an agreement before April 8, Justice Jeffrey K. Oing of New York State Supreme Court will continue hearing the case. Representatives for all three companies said they would participate in the mediation process. read

The Los Angeles County Superior Court department that helps resolve cases before they reach a courtroom will shutter by June 28. read

A judge overseeing the battle between two popular Tampa radio DJs has sent both sides into mediation. Todd "MJ" Schnitt and Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem were involved in a defamation suit in January. Schnitt lost the defamation lawsuit against radio rival Clem but vowed to appeal the jury's decision. read

Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 officials have refused to enter into mediation talks with the family of a transgender girl who wants to return to school. read

The Indiana Supreme Court recently declared that the state’s judicial policy supports “robust confidentiality” in mediation. In doing so, the court vacated a Court of Appeals ruling that would have expanded the circumstances in which confidentiality could be broken to obtain evidence. The two rulings reflect a strong contrast in interpretations of ADR rules and judicial policy toward mediation. read

A new initiative is underway to encourage more litigants to settle disputes out of court by making alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services more affordable, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said. read

A New York State Supreme Court Judge has ordered Macy's Inc., J.C. Penney Co. and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. to go into mediation as a way to resolve a contract dispute concerning a partnership over the Martha Stewart brand, according to a Macy's spokesman. read

The Missouri Bankers Association is fighting a new St. Louis city law that would force lenders to sit down with homeowners facing foreclosure to try to find a way for them to keep their house. Circuit Judge Robert Dierker has put a 20 day freeze on the ordinance to allow time for a hearing so both sides can argue their case. read

If you were hoping to watch Tom Cruise's legal battle against "In Touch" and "Life & Style" publishers Bauer Publishing Company play out in public, you're out of luck. Cruise's lawsuit against Bauer has been moved to private mediation. read

The Oregon Senate has passed a bill creating a new mediation process for patients injured by medical mistakes. The bill passed in a 26-3 vote despite criticisms from some lawmakers who said it should have included limits on the amount of money that juries can award to patients injured by medical errors. The measure would allow injured patients to confidentially discuss the error and a possible settlement with the hospital or clinic where the mistake occurred. Supporters say it would help reduce a defensive culture that prevents doctors from speaking about medical mistakes and learning from them out of fear of a lawsuit. read

So-called forced arbitration clauses say that in the event of a dispute, you won't be able to file a class-action suit. Instead, your dispute will be settled one-on-one in a private arbitration forum. These clauses are commonly inserted into terms of service agreements, which you must agree to if you want to use the product or service. read

A Texas Court of Appeals recently affirmed an order denying an employer's motion to compel arbitration against an employee who did not speak English. read

Former Oregon Chief Justice Paul De Muniz will serve as mediator between Portland city officials, federal investigators, police union leaders and members of a community group directed to come to agreement on reforms needed to address a scathing U.S. Department of Justice inquiry into police use of force. read

Popular Kannada actor Duniya Vijay, who filed for divorce before the family court earlier this year, was asked to appear at the counselling centre with his wife on March 14. read

A judge in St. Louis city has halted enforcement of the city's new foreclosure mediation ordinance. Robert Dierker issued the temporary restraining order today, which prohibits any city officials from enforcing the ordinance. Dierker does take care to note that voluntary participation in mediation is still allowed. read

Delaware is still in a foreclosure crisis. For that reason Attorney General Beau Biden and state legislators announced plans to extend the state’s mandatory foreclosure mediation program for another four years. read

ST. PAUL MN — Proposed legislation would create better resolutions to conflicts from child custody to intergovernmental disputes, supporters say. Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, has signed onto a bipartisan House and Senate bill that would create an Office of Collaboration Dispute Resolution. It would be housed in the Bureau of Mediation Services, and would provide grants to nonprofits and other organizations to resolve disputes. read

Following a recess in the negotiations that began back on February 16th, the federal mediator has decided not to bring the parties back to the bargaining table at this time. There was no progress achieved toward ending the 6 month old strike. read

Chevron has been ordered by an Ecuadorian court to pay $19 billion for irreversible environmental damage caused in the Amazon between 1964 and the early 1990s by Texaco. The case involves some 30,000 Amazon villagers who contend Texaco, which Chevron acquired in 2001, spoiled their lands and damaged their health by dumping billions of gallons of toxic drilling waste in a 480,000-hectare (1,850-sq.-mile) area of the Ecuadorian Amazon. read

In light of recent attacks linked to familial disputes, the issue of mediation, or the lack thereof, has resurfaced. Donna Parchment Brown, CEO of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF), is urging more people to consider mediation . . . the public needs to see it as their natural response." read

The Oregon Senate is considering passing a medical malpractice reform measure that emphasizes mediation over courtroom trials.  Senate Bill 483 would set up a system for out-of-court mediation to enable patients to avoid lengthy and expensive medical malpractice lawsuits. read

Over two million families who solely depend on Lake Malawi for their livelihoods are anxiously putting their hopes into an upcoming mediation between Malawi and Tanzania intended to put an end to a longstanding ownership dispute. read

The Supreme Court is considering whether to expand on its recent rulings allowing companies to avoid class-action lawsuits by insisting that customers resolve complaints through arbitration. Arbitration requirements have become a standard feature of American life, printed on the back of baseball tickets, in the fine print of cellphone plans and in a wide range of other contracts. Businesses say arbitration reduces legal costs while allowing more claims to be resolved. But consumer advocates say that arbitration increasingly lets companies escape accountability. read

Jacqueline Hagerott, the manager of the court’s dispute-resolution section, said mediation has helped resolve property-value cases at both the Supreme Court and the state’s Board of Tax Appeals. “We’re quite confident it’ll work” at the county level, she said. read

The City of Malibu Senior Center will host a free mediation presentation titled “What Is Elder Care Mediation?” read

In his annual report, Mediate.com CEO Jim Melamed announced that Mediate.com is on schedule to reach 5 million web site visitor sessions during 2013. read

Restorative justice is a movement that has been popular in the United States since the 1980s.  Instead of conventional criminal justice, which focuses on punishment, it empowers victims, encourages offenders to take responsibility for what they have done, and results in a reparation. read

The mediator, United States Arbitration & Mediation Midwest Inc., will then attempt to reach the homeowner three times over 15 days. read

The Dispute Resolution Foundation in partnering with Jamaica's Bureau of Women's Affairs in the implementation of the NPGE is providing to critical actors a capability to defuse conflicts related to values rights and interests and to design processes of engagement to honour and incorporate the needs of women.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday his administration’s plan to offer a mediation program option to Sandy victims who are in dispute with their insurers. Gov. Christie, seen here at a Jan. 24 news conference in in Seaside Heights, announced a new mediation process to help resolve ongoing Sandy insurance disputes. read

A wide coalition of voices support the program. While some of those tweaks are technical such as changing the term “mediation” to “resolution conference,” there are some substantial changes such as expanding the program to judicial foreclosure. Currently, mediation is only required for lenders who file non-judicial foreclosures. read

The option that hasn't been mentioned as often as bankruptcy or emergency management is neutral evaluation, or mediation, which was written into PA 436 as one of the four choices afforded to leaders of Michigan cities that face financial hardship. read

A Swiss woman held hostage for nearly a year in Yemen has been freed by her kidnappers and flown to Doha following mediation by Qatar. read

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that a new, improved process is in place for homeowners facing foreclosure and seeking mediation services. Mediation is a confidential and voluntary process where the homeowner and the lender discuss options for resolving the foreclosure case, including reinstatement of the loan and possible modification of the loan terms. read

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could determine the extent to which companies might rely on arbitration clauses to fend off class-action lawsuits. read

MA Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin today rebuked banking and brokerage giant Charles Schwab for a recent change to its customer arbitration agreement which precludes customers from joining in class-action lawsuits. read

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Department of Financial Services has established a voluntary mediation process for homeowners disputing their insurance claims or dissatisfied with denials of their claims arising from Storm Sandy. “Mediation offers a speedy, low-cost resolution of insurance claims for homeowners who are unable to reach agreement with their homeowners’ insurance companies on claims from Storm Sandy,” Governor Cuomo said. “It is also much less expensive for insurers than litigation, so it’s a win for everyone.” read

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has rebuffed the offer of a well-regarded senior federal judge to mediate a pre-trial plea agreement in a particularly high profile death penalty case. read

Mediation is an important tool in dispute resolution, and when it comes to employment relationship problems. For certain employment matters, mediation will be the best and least expensive option. read

Policyholders at odds with their insurer over Hurricane Sandy-related claims soon will have a more cost-effective and efficient way to resolve their differences over coverage, the Christie administration announced. read

The next step in a human rights battle between a Saskatoon man and city hall could come down to mediation before a formal hearing by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC). read

Lenders are running out of excuses for dodging Oregon's foreclosure mediation program. The Legislature should speed up the pace of acceptance by passing legislation that would make technical fixes and close loopholes in a hastily amended bill that escaped last year's short session on the last day. read