His combined legal and construction industry experience allows him unique insights into disputes that result in fairer arbitration awards and mediations with a high record of settlement. His dual professional backgrounds allow him to fluently communicate with disputing parties and their counsel in the industry-specific languages of law, design and construction.

He is also an experienced member of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) construction and commercial panels of arbitrators and mediators, including its Fast Track, Regular Track, Large, Complex Construction Dispute Panel and its Large Complex Commercial Dispute Panel. He can also serve ad hoc as arbitrator and mediator if so requested.

Mr. Cole serves the Chicago area as well as Central Illinois, and has served out-of-state as arbitrator and mediator in such states as Wisconsin, Indiana and North Dakota. He can travel anywhere in the United States to provide Certified Mediator and arbitration services. Mr. Cole can accommodate court-ordered and very short notice mediation, depending on the specifics and timing.

• ATTORNEY: Illinois (1998) / Florida (2001)
• LICENSED ARCHITECT: Illinois (1993)

He has arbitrated and mediated many complex condominium and single-family homeowner disputes between owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors and home owner associations. He frequently mediates and arbitrates pro se cases, where one or more parties represents themselves without an attorney.

DISPUTED ISSUES have included contract performance failure and breach, claims involving design and construction defects, material and structural failure, change order disputes, uncompleted punch list issues, HVAC non-performance, scheduling and delay claims, non-payment and mechanics lien claims, cost overruns, unforeseen site conditions including foundation and caisson issues, fraud allegations, code compliance, partnership development agreement issues, alleged intellectual property and related copyright infringement issues, foreclosure, loan modification and asset relinquishment, and a wide range of other construction and commercial claims and disputes.

• Bachelor Of Architecture, University of Illinois at Chicago (1988)
• Master of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1992)
• Juris Doctor, Loyola University Chicago (1998)

Prior to a mediation conference, he discusses separately and confidentially with each party their positions and goals along with what he considers to be each parties’ positions’ strengths and weaknesses based on his review of the parties' document submissions. These informed evaluations allows parties to evaluate and consider whether a mediated settlement is in their best interest, or, whether binding dispute resolution such as arbitration or litigation offer better possible outcomes.

During the mediation conferences, he guides the parties through discussions of the more legally and technically problematic aspects of their disputes. These discussions, along with his pre-mediation conference confidential evaluations of each parties’ positions’ strengths and weaknesses, allow the parties to continuously evaluate and re-evaluate their positions and their settlement options as the mediation conference progresses.

Mr. Cole is happy to discuss his mediation approach with the parties, and to tailor it to their desires and expectations for achieving the best opportunity for resolution and settlement.

Mr. Cole will travel anywhere in the continental United States as arbitrator and mediator at no cost for either travel time or direct travel expenses to parties for arbitration hearings or mediation conferences that last three (3) days or more. For arbitration hearings or mediation conferences lasting one (1) or two (2) days, direct reimbursable travel expenses and reasonable travel time are billed to the parties as agreed upon between Mr. Cole and the parties at the commencement of his services.