Jacksonville Business Mediation

Business disputes should not be seen as a battle to be won, but as a problem to be solved swiftly and effectively. At Walker Mediation & Consulting, we understand the unique difficulties that business disputes can bring. This is why our Jacksonville business mediation practice is tailored towards providing effective dispute resolution services that encourage fast, profitable, and efficient solutions.

Walker Mediation & Consulting offers considerable expertise in business mediation and consulting, including a proven track record of assisting effective resolution in the US and international business disputes.

Led by Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, Robert Walker, our dispute resolution team is available to help you find collaborative ways to forge beyond business disputes and advance your corporate goals.

Business mediation overview

Business mediation has long been recognized as an important alternative to court-centered dispute resolution processes. Due to the significant cost, time, and resource-intensive nature of litigation, corporate interests are better served by submitting disputes to a forum that is fast, cost-effective, and efficient.

Parties in a business mediation dispute often vary. They include individuals within an organization, small businesses, or large national or multinational companies confronted with a contract, real estate, or employment dispute. Handled inefficiently, these disputes can spiral out of control, hurting business relationships and, ultimately, the business’ bottom line.

A business mediator’s role is to manage the competing interests in the dispute, assist the parties with identifying and prioritizing the most important interests, and facilitate communication that leads to an amicable resolution. In performing this duty, the business mediator may be required to overcome any roadblocks to settlement such as a knowledge gap on the true interests and position of each party.

Accomplished business mediators are tasked with finding inventive solutions that encourage mutual satisfaction and ideally help the parties find ways to progress their business relationship. A dedicated problem-solving philosophy is important to achieving this.

The business mediation process

Mediation is inherently collaborative. This means both parties are working together to solve their dispute. They share the costs of the mediation, including mediator fees, forum expenses, and other expenses that are incidental to a successful resolution.

The process starts with finding a neutral party to meet with both sides to the dispute and try to help find a resolution. This is the mediator, who will often be a certified professional with the experience to assist in your dispute. The mediator has been trained to see and listen objectively, so you can be certain you have someone who will listen fairly to your side of the story and help you find a solution that works.

In the next stage of the process, each party will be allowed to explain their position to the mediator. Sometimes, either party may be able to question the other or the mediator may ask questions to clarify events.

After listening to both sides, the mediator will then work with both parties to attempt to help them identify and prioritize the most important interests. Working from the common ground between the parties, the mediator may ask that both parties get together to identify possible solutions to the dispute. For more contentious disputes, the mediator may meet with each party separately to present the views of the other party and help them see where they can meet.

At the end of the process, the mediator will present their findings on the dispute to both parties and suggest a way to resolve the dispute. If the solution seems favorable to both parties, the mediator will assist with drafting an agreement that reflects the joint position of the parties.

Benefits of business mediation

Businesses that choose to settle their disputes via mediation are able to avoid the stress and opportunity losses that protracted litigation will often present. Business mediation can help both parties come to a mutually beneficial solution without going to court or incurring the costs associated with drawn-out litigation. Other benefits of business mediation include:

• Time savings: Business mediation is fast and effective. Parties may reach a satisfactory resolution within hours or days of submitting their dispute to a qualified mediator. In contrast, litigation takes much longer, often up to months or years, for even the simplest of business disputes.
• Flexibility: Parties can consider and adopt an almost unending variety of ways to resolve their dispute through business mediation. This encourages the parties to find creative dispute resolution strategies that might otherwise be unavailable in the rigid court-centered process.
• Swift and cost-effective: Since the parties share the cost of business mediation, the process is less expensive than litigation. They are also able to enjoy cost advantages over litigation as they can dictate how long the process takes.
• Relationship: For partners who wish to continue doing business together in the future, business mediation is advantageous to preserve the business relationship. The forum is civil, collaborative and helps parties genuinely move past their differences.

There are several other benefits that business mediation holds for parties, including the opportunity to avoid potentially uncomfortable publicity for sensitive disputes. Parties may however rely on the discretion and confidentiality of their business mediators.

Walker Mediation & Consulting business mediation services

Our Jacksonville business mediation services at Walker Mediation & Consulting are structured around providing highly dependable mediation services to businesses in a variety of industries.

At Walker Mediation & Consulting, we have been trusted by clients from all over Florida and the US with the most sensitive and time-bound disputes, with admirable results. Our clients trust us to help manage their business relationships and find solutions to disputes that encourage stronger and more profitable business relations.

Robert Walker is a Certified Florida Supreme Court County, Circuit, and Family Mediator with extensive expertise. Robert has a BSc. in Management and an MBA in Business Admin. This helps him provide practical and business-oriented strategies to resolve the most complicated business disputes.

To learn more about our Jacksonville business mediation services or to schedule a consultation with Robert Walker, please contact us at (833) 763-3428 today.