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N.D. of Texas Issues Temporary Restraining Order Enjoining FINRA Arbitrations

By Beth Graham - March 7, 2011

The Northern District of Texas has issued a Temporary Restraining Order enjoining multiple arbitration proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In Billitteri v. Securities America Inc., et al., No. 3:09-CV-01568-F and related cases, (N.D. Tex., February 18, 2011), a group of representative plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit jointly filed a Motion for Preliminary Approval of a partial class action settlement with s

GUEST-POST | Italy’s Lawyers Call for National Strike Against Mediation Law

By Beth Graham - February 25, 2011

by Michael McIlwrath A new law requiring mediation to be used in commercial cases comes into effect in Italy on March 21. It’s been heralded as a significant potential change and, you would think for a country with a famously overburdened court system, heartily welcomed as a caseload-reducing initiative. Proactive local chambers of commerce have been sponsoring initiatives to promote the introduction of mediation, and mediation providers have bee

Collaboration Needed to Improve Health Care Delivery System

By Holly Hayes - February 18, 2011

by Holly Hayes According to an American Hospital Association (AHA) News report, Don Berwick, M.D., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, testified on February 10, 2011, at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the impact the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will have on Medicare. Dr. Berwick, said: “building an improved Medicare program and health care delivery system must be a collaborat

Article | Should States Regulate the Mediation Profession?

By Beth Graham - February 3, 2011

Philip J. Loree Jr., a partner in the Manhasset, New York based firm of Loree & Loree and contributor to this blog, recently published an interesting article entitled Should States Regulate the Mediation Profession? The article was published in the Winter 2010-2011 edition of NE-ACR News, the newsletter of the New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution. In the article, Mr. Loree argues “proponents of state licensure

California Supreme Court Holds Attorney-Client Communications Related to Mediation Not Discoverable

By Beth Graham - January 14, 2011

The California Supreme Court has ruled that private attorney-client communications related to a mediation remain confidential communications protected by California’s Evidence Code even during a legal malpractice lawsuit between the parties. In Cassel v. Superior Ct., No. S178914, (Cal. Jan. 13, 2011) Michael Cassel sued attorneys who represented him during a mediation settlement for malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and breach of cont

Health Care Mediation Lacks Physician Participation

By Holly Hayes - December 17, 2010

by Holly Hayes This week, a Wall Street Journal Health Blog headline stated, “Big Challenge for Mediation in Medical Malpractice: Doctor Participation.” The post discussed a study published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law which reviewed 31 cases from New York City non-profit hospitals. The study found that although mediation in a medical malpractice context has potential benefits, no physicians participated in the ca

District of Columbia Adopts Foreclosure Mediation Process

By Beth Graham - November 22, 2010

Another United States jurisdiction has adopted a mediation process to address the ongoing foreclosure crisis. The District of Columbia (D.C.) Council approved the “Saving D.C. Homes from Foreclosure Act of 2010,” earlier this month. The measure requires lenders to participate in six months of mediation with a homeowner prior to foreclosure. According to the Washington Post: Mediation allows the borrower and the lender’s representative to ne

48 New Mediators Sworn In to Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program

By Beth Graham - November 15, 2010

On October 27th, 48 new mediators were sworn in to the State of Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program (FMP). This brings the total number of authorized FMP mediators in Nevada to 293. The FMP was created by Assembly Bill 149 during the 2009 Nevada Legislature session. According to a June 21, 2010 fact sheet: The FMP applies to residential properties located in Nevada that are owner occupied and the primary home of the owners. Additional eligibilit

Defensive Medicine and the Role of Tort Reform

By Holly Hayes - October 18, 2010

by Holly Hayes Modern Physician recently reported about a study by Harvard researchers that says the nation’s “medical liability system” accounted for approximately “$55.6 billion—or 2.4% of total healthcare spending in 2008—with almost $45.6 billion of that figure being spent on the practice of “defensive of medicine,” which includes ordering tests and procedures or avoiding high-risk patients in an effort to avoid being sued.”

Connecticut Mandates Mediation in Medical Malpractice Cases

By Beth Graham - October 1, 2010

by Holly Hayes U.S. Politics Today reported that in Connecticut, “as of July 1, the presiding judge over a medical malpractice case must refer the case to a 120-day mediation period or other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process ‘before the close of proceedings.’” The stated purpose of the new statute which mandates mediation in medical malpractice cases is to achieve a “prompt settlement or resolution of the civil action.” The