Mediation
Mediation Services
Are you looking for an avenue to resolve your difficult cases promptly, economically and in a way that allows you to maintain control over the decision making process? If so, then we may be able to help.
As head of the Morgan, Akins & Jackson Mediation Services Division, Oliver Brooks serves as a neutral private mediator, principally focusing matters that involve complex issues of law and fact. As an active practitioner of the law, Oliver noticed that a gap in mediation services has arisen in the past several years. There are of course, plenty of nationally recognized mediation providers that are stocked with retired Judges and Shareholders from prestigious firms. Those providers need no introduction and usually provide exemplary mediation services, however, they generally come at a high price point and often have long wait times for availability. Oliver Brooks fills the middle-market mediation vacuum by efficiently managing the core party positions and cutting through the extraneous baggage that many cases bring to the table. This allows the parties to focus on clear resolution in matters where the disputed damages are enough to require the skills of a neutral but where the economics of mediation cost are a significant party concern.
Why Mediation? The reality of litigation in the 21st century is that relatively few cases proceed to trial. Trials are inherently risky propositions which can be expensive and time-consuming undertakings that often invite delay, particularly if there are appealable issues involved. Also, many courts, will be digging out from significant backlogs caused by pandemic related shut-downs for years to come. These delays can add months, or even years, to when the parties reach a courtroom. How Courts handle evidentiary issues, along with limitations placed upon counsels’ ability to present their case, coupled with the unknown factors inherent to jury deliberations, mean that a trial involves surrendering a significant level of control over the outcome of a case. While it is true that some cases require a trial to resolve, the overwhelming majority simply do not. As such, parties on both sides of the adversarial process have good reason to look for alternative resolution strategies like Mediation.
Oliver Brooks serves as the head of Morgan, Akins & Jackson’ Mediation Services Division. Oliver started his career as a plaintiff’s attorney, transitioned to in-house counsel for a major, national insurance carrier, and then moved back into private practice defending cases involving catastrophic losses, focusing on strict products liability matters. Oliver’s experience has given him unique insights and perspectives into how the proverbial “sausage is made” during the litigation process. He serves as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and has served as an Arbitrator in hundreds of cases. Oliver is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey, and in the State of New York. He is also admitted to all three United States District Courts in Pennsylvania, the Federal District Court of New Jersey, as well as the Eastern and Southern Federal Districts in New York, and is deeply familiar with the practices in all three jurisdictions.
Oliver’s mediation philosophy is to allow the parties to maintain autonomy and control over their case while reaching a rapid, fair, and final conclusion of the case at a fair price. He pays attention to the facts and issues, and will actively work with the parties to reach a resolution. We use a hybrid fee schedule where the first half day is a set cost. This model removes the sticker shock associated some mediation services. Most importantly, Oliver’s approach to serving as a mediator is to put in the work to understand the facts, the law and the positions of the parties and to pull the parties to center. Above all else, having a mediator who cares about the parties and the outcome of the mediation is central to success.
If you think that mediation may be right for your case, contact us and let’s discuss if Oliver can help by serving as a neutral mediator in your matter.