Randy James has mediated and negotiated dozens of cases to settlement. In the course of that experience he has developed a number of ideas to make the mediation/negotiation process more productive in facilitating the parties finding common ground and ultimately reaching an agreement. In addition to this experience, he has completed 40 hours of formal mediation training through the Center for Dispute Resolution at Missouri State University and the Washington University School of Law Alternative Dispute Program, as well as the 21 hour program conducted by the University of Missouri School of Law, Center for Dispute Resolution. Randy is also a member of the Board of Driectors of the Association of Missouri Mediators.

With the proliferation of alternative dispute resolution in the past several years, it is important for ADR to be thought of as a time and cost saving exercise, rather than an expensive waste of time. Generally, by the time of mediation the parties have spent months or years preparing their case. To be successful, the mediator must respect this preparation and learn as much from it as possible. This requires the mediator to be prepared and to understand the complexities, subtleties and under currents that can impact the resolution of a case.

Our philosophy is to work to bring the parties together to emphasize their common goals, interests and risks rather than their differences. Whereas the prevailing model is to separate the parties as soon as possible and shuttle offers and counter offers back and forth, we will strive to encourage interaction in the process, while respecting the interests of privacy when necessary.

We also realize that many cases, particularly complex cases do not resolve themselves in one session. Once we are retained in a case, we will continue to work with the parties as long as progress is being made toward ultimate resolution, whether through face to face meetings or by telephone. At the end of each joint session, the agreements reached to that point will be documented to better facilitate future discussions.

JLS will help resolve virtually any civil dispute from domestic cases, insurance claims and contract matters to serious personal injury and death cases. Our fees are generally earned on an hourly basis, but depending on the case may be charged as a flat fee.