Kevin Sido, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago

Avoiding the Courtroom Through Mediation or Arbitration

Critics can point to any number of reasons why litigation is not the ideal means of dispute resolution: the expense of complying with formal procedures of pleading and discovery; the arbitrariness and unpredictability of juries; and many other points long associated with civil litigation. There are, however, other options. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provides an alternative to litigating a dispute in a courtroom. There are several choices that come under the ADR heading, but the most prevalent are arbitration and mediation . ADR is looked at as a confidential and efficient way to resolve disputes.