James Mathie

Senior Mediator

Senior Mediator · Juris Doctor

Hi, this is Jim Mathie. Thanks for taking the time to consider me to assist you in resolving your dispute. Mediation offers advantages that you can’t get in litigation. Significantly, you get to determine whether to resolve your dispute and how to do it. That won’t happen in court. Someone will win and someone will lose. Sometimes both sides actually lose. In mediation the win–win, is not a myth, it can really happen. My goal is to assist the parties to understand each other’s perspective. Understanding does not mean agreeing, but through understanding the parties can often see past the blinders that litigation imposes and mine the creativity necessary to find a mutually beneficial resolution. Whenever possible, I use mediation through understanding. Instead of working separately against each other, the parties work together – often in the same room – to understand each other and resolve their differences. We don’t ignore the legal aspects of the dispute, but we put it in the proper perspective, looking at strengths, but also recognizing risks and practical realities. This isn’t easy. There is tension in any conflict. But parties who have the courage to address their differences and are open-minded enough to know that there are always two sides, can transcend their conflict and gain true resolution and in so doing preserve past, present or future relationships that are too important to destroy by litigation.