Mediation/Business & partnership
Business disputes
Resolve the dispute. Keep the business.
Partners who no longer agree, a contract that went wrong, a deal that soured. Litigation is slow, public and expensive, and it rarely leaves a working relationship behind. Mediation is private, faster, and built to find a way forward.
Sounds familiar?
The situations this page is for.
- Business partners at odds over direction, money or exit
- A contract dispute with a supplier, client or landlord
- A founder and an investor who see the company differently
- A family business where relatives are also colleagues
- A dispute you'd rather settle before it becomes a lawsuit
- A lawsuit already filed that both sides would rather end
How we'd help
Positions on the table, interests underneath them.
Commercial mediation is private and confidential — designed so both sides can speak frankly about what they need.
The mediator helps each side set out its position and its interests, separate the two, and test the options against what continuing the fight would cost in time, money and disruption. The people who know the business make the decision; the mediator makes the conversation productive.
An agreement reached in mediation is written down by the parties and can be made binding.
one paragraph in the mediator's own voice about this kind of matter — experience, and how a session is run.
Common questions
What people ask before they call.
How do we start?
One person gets in touch. You do not need the other party's agreement to make the first call — part of what we do is help bring the other side to the table.
How do I get the other person to participate?
Mediation is voluntary, so no one can be compelled. What usually works is a neutral invitation from the mediator rather than from the person they are in conflict with.
How long does it take?
Typical number of sessions for this kind of matter, and how long each runs.
Can our lawyers attend?
The mediator's practice on lawyers in the room.
Is the agreement binding?
A mediated settlement can be made legally binding once it is signed.
Is it confidential?
What is said in mediation stays in mediation. Nothing is shared outside the process unless the participants agree to share it.
Who pays?
Who usually pays, and whether costs are split.
How much does it cost?
Hourly, per session, or per matter? A range, or "quoted after the first conversation" if fees vary.
Can we do this remotely?
Virtual, in person at the Bowie office, or both — and whether the parties need to be in the same room.