MEMBER OF:

Contact Paul Smolinsky

I specialize in mediation and alternative dispute resolution during or in place of litigation for businesses and individuals engaged in commercial, civil, and contract disputes. I welcome your outreach via my website.

As a former lawyer, I know what effective mediation involves and what it can accomplish. Good mediators engage with the parties in the process and encourage them to reach a shared understanding of the key issues and litigation risks so they can make informed decisions and conduct productive negotiations. I’ve modeled my own practice with that experience in mind.

Although I am based in the Metro D.C. area, I travel for work with clients throughout the Northeast, and am periodically available for phone/virtual engagements as well.

Prior to launching my mediation practice, I was a Director at Jackson & Campbell, P.C., where I represented insurance companies in a broad variety of coverage claims arising from environmental, construction, and other complex civil disputes.

Core functions of my role included: assessing client needs and opportunities, identifying key factual and legal issues, developing strategies that promoted best possible outcomes for disputes, crafting settlement positions, and negotiating settlements directly or indirectly through mediation.

J.D., George Washington University Law School; B.S., Carleton College

My approach to mediation is guided by the unique needs of the parties involved in the dispute, and the nuances of their particular situation.

• We begin with a conversation to determine what the parties hope to achieve through alternative dispute resolution and how best to proceed in the most helpful way possible.
• Throughout the process that follows, I work to equip the parties with the best possible information on their issues, positions, opportunities, and trade-offs.
• We then facilitate an organized and intentional conversation or negotiation to explore ways to resolve the dispute.

It’s not about settlement rates or positioning myself to resolve legal problems – it’s about helping parties embrace the process, stay future-focused, and rethink the possibilities.