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Practice

Alternative Dispute Resolution


Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) offers timely, confidential, and cost effective options to today's litigation and court procedures.
Our dispute resolution lawyers can help you explore alternatives to litigation, including:
 
• Arbitration - a simplified version of a trial where both parties present their cases before a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators who render a decision.
• Mediation - a less formal process where skilled mediators and counsel work to establish a mutually accepted resolution. Mediation also offers the flexibility for outcomes that are not usually available in either the judicial or arbitration settings. 

Our attorneys are highly skilled in ADR procedures and work carefully with each client to determine the best method for conflict resolution. We take an active role in dispute negotiations and are dedicated to guiding and positioning our clients to make the most of the dispute resolution process by developing negotiating strategies to achieve equitable resolutions. 

In addition to representing clients during the ADR process, our dispute resolution attorneys are frequently selected to act as arbitrators and have experience working as mediators on a wide range of matters including securities fraud arbitration, construction arbitration, and medical arbitration.  We also counsel clients in the use of arbitration clauses as effective tools in a wide array of business arrangements ranging from employment contracts to licensing agreements. 

Because Alternative Dispute Resolution is applicable in a wide array of situations, we work with attorneys in many other practice areas throughout the Firm. Our experience enables us to offer a comprehensive and thorough analysis of each dispute to keep our clients aware of their options so they can decide what is best for their business. 

Collaborative Divorce/Family Law
Collaborative Law is an alternative method for finding a path to resolve marital difficulties that is both client and child-centered. Parties each have their own attorney but collaborate as a group, sometimes with the help of an allied professional. The group meets to identify the priorities, goals, needs and interests of the parties and help them progress towards and create a settlement that is consistent with these ideas. Collaborative Law is based on the premise that the parties involved can make better decisions about their children and their families than a judge. 

James L. Sonneborn has over twenty-five years of litigation, arbitration and mediation experience. His experience with ADR encompasses serving as a neutral and appearing in mediation and arbitration matters for clients. His cases have ranged from construction disputes to securities arbitration, including stock broker fraud and securities firm disputes. He has acted as the Co-Director of the Securities Arbitration Clinic at Syracuse University and has recently lectured and trained attorneys on mediation. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Committee on Alternate Dispute Resolution for the Federal Court Bar Association for the Northern District of New York. 

Lowell A. Seifter has extensive experience in health care law arbitrations on a wide range of health care issues including managed care disputes, insurance contract disputes, Medicare disputes, physician peer review disputes, hospital/patient disputes, labor and employment conflicts, and partnership disputes and dissolution. Lowell has participated on numerous arbitration panels often in the role of Panel Chair, as well as having served as sole arbitrator. He is a registered arbitrator with the American Health Lawyers Association. 

Michael J. Balanoff has over ten years of experience acting as both an arbitrator and a mediator in commercial transactions, bankruptcy, debtor and creditor rights, and workouts. He receives frequent referrals from both the United States Bankruptcy Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York where he is on a select Panel of Mediators and Arbitrators.

Robert K. Weiler has extensive experience as a mediator in a wide range of commercial matters including contract disputes and creditor rights.  He is on a select Panel of Mediators and Arbitrators for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Steven A. Paquette is among a select group of local attorneys skilled in Collaborative Law methods. He has experience navigating sophisticated divorce and family law matters to a successful conclusion using Collaborative Law Practice techniques wherever possible. Steve is a member of the Central New York Collaborative Law Professionals and the International Academy of Collaborative Law Professionals.


Attorneys

Michael J. Balanoff
L. Micha Ordway, Jr.
Steven A. Paquette
Lowell A. Seifter
James L. Sonneborn
Robert K. Weiler