Mediation

During his 25 years of practice litigating and trying cases for both plaintiffs and defendants, Thomas C. Wright is familiar with what works and, more importantly, with what infuriates participants when they mediate their disputes.

What “works” is having a mediator that is prepared and willing to test the positions of the participants. That is what Tom does; Tom is not a “water carrier” that simply relays offers and demands between the parties. And while there may be a counseling component to mediation, it is certainly not a counseling session.

There is a school of mediation that believes that it really doesn’t matter what the dispute is about, it is just about resolution. That may work in some cases, but Tom has never seen it. The parties are mediating for a reason (usually by court order), but before any side can decide what they will give up to settle, they need to know the other side’s position with clarity, including the emotional component.

Having detailed discussions (not simply reading mediation statements) with the representatives of all sides allows the identification of sticking points and the formation of ways of trying to work through those in advance. Trying to solve major blocks to settlement on the day of mediation is rarely successful. To create the best possibility of settling a dispute, Tom’s approach necessarily involves more pre-mediation work-up than most mediators do.

Tom also makes himself available post-mediation to facilitate a settlement after the parties have had the opportunity to digest what happened and to explore possible avenues to settlement that may not have been discussed. By continuing to use a mediator, it is often easier to move to a mutually agreeable resolution by avoiding any direct hostility that often arises when the parties and their lawyers try and settle a case on their own. Tom has a proven history of being able to defuse situations and he brings that skill to all his mediations.

Tom’s rates are $5,000 for a full-day mediation and $3,000 for a half-day. This includes both pre- and post-mediation consultation.

5220 Spring Valley Rd., Ste. 600
Dallas, TX 75254

By Appointment Only

1560 E Southlake Blvd, Ste. 100
Southlake, TX 76092

By Appointment Only

Phone: (214) 974-0585
Email: info@howardlg.com