Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Attorney Gregg Bertram, who is the founder and CEO of Pacific ADR Consulting, LLC, which is a company that specializes in mediation and arbitration. Although Pacific ADR’s headquarters are in Seattle, the company is now expanding into other areas of country. At PR for People, we’re intrigued by how Gregg and his team of panelists are often able to help parties resolve legal conflicts without having to go to trial or arbitration. So we asked Gregg a few questions about exactly what it means to be ‘True Neutral.’
1.Why did you start your own mediation business?
Over the years, I’ve had lengthy affiliations with other professionals who work in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and I thought I could create a business that was agile and had a high degree of quality. Whether mediators are affiliated with large businesses or they are solo practitioners is not as important as it is to be a true neutral. A good mediator must have the ability to inspire trust from all the parties, and to follow through on that trust. We have a small but dedicated panel who are committed to ADR as a preferred way to settle disputes.
2. What are the benefits of mediation?
Mediation brings extraordinary benefit to all parties in a dispute because it requires their active participation. When the parties have control over the process, the outcome is a more cathartic experience, than if they had resorted to litigation and passively suffered due to the decisions made by lawyers, juries and judges. Mediation allows the parties involved to take ownership of the dispute. In the vast majority of cases, when the dispute is resolved through mediation, there is less harm done to the parties.
3. How is Pacific ADR Consulting different from other ADR businesses?
The small size of our panel, coupled with their collective range and depth of experience, along with their willingness to share in both an individual and team approach, brings tremendous value to our clientele. We spend a lot of time evaluating and selecting our panelists. While the quality of our panelists’ experience and practice areas are important, one of the most notable qualities about our panelists is that they share a strong commitment to consistently resolve disputes through mediation.
Gregg Bertram
True Neutral
By PR for People Team