Mediation & Arbitration

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Mediation - Arbitration - Independent Fact-finding Investigations

In today’s society, legal disputes can ruin a company, a family, or an individual. Litigation is costly, from not only a financial perspective but also personal and emotional ones. Trials are time-consuming and can be so distracting to management or to the individual that they impact the ability to do much else.

Mediation and arbitration through Miller & Steiert’s Littleton Alternative Dispute Resolution, Ltd., (LADR) are alternatives to litigation. Most of our clients are referred by other satisfied clients of LADR services.

Mediation

Mediation is a process in which our impartial and trained facilitator helps the parties reach resolution of a legal dispute voluntarily—without the cost of litigation. The mediator does not make a decision in the case nor does he or she rule on how it should be resolved. Our mediators help the parties reach fair and amicable resolution by discussing creative solutions with them. The types of differences with which we can assist parties include employment disputes, domestic relations conflicts, commercial and corporate disputes, and personal injury cases.

Arbitration

Another alternative to litigation is arbitration. When both parties are amenable to the process, arbitration provides a venue similar to a bench trial, but with lower cost and in a much faster timeframe. Our trained arbitrators listen to both sides present their cases in a dispute and then issue binding awards.

Our ADR attorneys have an excellent record of success. To discuss your ADR options in more detail, contact a lawyer or mediator from Miller & Steiert.

Employment Fact-Finding Investigation

In addition to offering mediation and arbitration, we also help employers address workplace conflicts as independent fact finders in a wide range of employment disputes . Allegations of workplace harassment, rape, age or race discrimination, and other workplace mistreatment can have a serious effect on a business. If you want the facts uncovered professionally and discretely, we can help. Attorney Katy Miller conducts thorough, independent fact-finding investigations and provides clear reports with her findings, including recommendations, when requested.

Class Action Monitoring

Another niche LADR fills is to serve as a monitor of class action settlement agreements. Illustrating our attorneys’ experience and reputation for alternative dispute resolution, Katy Miller has been selected by the federal government to serve as a monitor for the implementation of class action settlement agreements/consent decrees.

The Miller & Steiert Approach

Since she began her legal career in 1980, Katy Miller has concentrated almost exclusively on litigating employment matters. Since 1995, she has been successfully mediating disputes for private and public employers and employees throughout Colorado in all types of employment related matters. Katy's credentials include forty hours of mediation training, as well as sexual harassment and employment arbitration training, and she has served as a contract mediator for the EEOC and the Office of Dispute Resolution for the State of Colorado. Her expertise in employment law qualifies her for service as an arbitrator in employment cases and Katy is listed on the arbitration panel of the American Arbitration Association for the Rocky Mountain Region. She has successfully mediated hundreds of cases and has served as a trainer for the Colorado Bar Association.

As a legal staff assistant in 1975, Mike Miller gained his first mediation experience conducting settlement negotiations for the parties in almost every domestic relations case in Arapahoe Country District Court before the cases proceeded to hearings. Since then, he has become widely recognized throughout the Colorado District Courts for his ability to prepare and try commercial and family law disputes and for his ability to assist parties in resolving their disputes amicably, without incurring the expense and spending the time involved in litigation. Mike has settled commercial and domestic relations cases through mediation, which help parties avoid the cost and emotional toll imposed by protracted litigation. Mike completed mediation training at CDR, Inc., the settlement masters training program in Arapahoe County District Court, and the mediation training program offered by the Arapahoe County Bar Association.

Gary Clexton earned an undergraduate degree in Social Work and worked in that field before obtaining an advanced degrees of a Master in Public Health and Juris Doctor. Gary's legal career has been entirely in the litigation arena. He has tried or arbitrated many civil and commercial cases, as well as those involving personal injury and product liability. Since over 95% of all lawsuits settle, Gary has extensive experience in resolving cases through mediation, thereby avoiding the personal and financial expense of trial. Gary has had 40 hours of mediation training and serves as a mediator with Jefferson County Mediation Services. With his ever increasing mediation work, Gary has come full circle back to using his original training in social work skills, enhanced by his years of successful litigation work and experience.

Contact Miller & Steiert to find out if arbitration or mediation is right for you.