Scott Baughan and Richard Lord are both longtime mediators who previously worked for many years with a prominent mediation firm prior to forming ADRsource.
They had noticed a trend in the industry of larger corporate interests acquiring dispute resolution firms and shifting the focus to cash flow. Traditionally, dispute resolution companies were developed and operated by professional neutrals dedicated to offering the highest level of service.
The launch of ADRsource was a return to this ethos. At it’s foundation, the company is a community of neutrals devoted to the pursuit of excellence in the field. They have fostered the professional development of an elite panel of neutrals who exclusively focus on dispute resolution.
“We respect that there are other business models for ADR firms,” said Managing Partner Richard Lord. “We believe, however, that a truly independent model, free of outside corporate interests, is the best fit for the profession.”
The criteria for the development of the ADRsource panel of neutrals places a high value on trial experience. The company believes that there is no substitute for time in the trenches of litigation and that effective dispute resolution requires understanding context.
The firm believes that neutrals are rightfully expected to be quick studies of the cases in which they are engaged and that participants should expect this of their neutral. ADRsource stresses preparation as an essential component, but believes that litigation experience equips the neutral with the ability to go beyond a comprehension of the dispute and effectively develop an understanding of the needs of the participants.
“To facilitate the resolution of any dispute, it is important to have a clear appreciation of what the parties are facing if they do not settle,” said Co-Founder Scott Baughan. “The ability to understand the potential inflection points of a case is vital to this understanding.”
The neutrals at ADRsource come from diverse practice backgrounds. This includes a broad range of legal specialties on both sides of the proverbial “v” as well as a former circuit court judge. Its panel has collectively tried hundreds of jury trials to verdict and handled appellate proceedings through conclusion at both the state and federal level, including at the United States Supreme Court. And each neutral brings the depth and diversity of their prior practice experience, as well as their commitment to professionalism as a neutral to work each day.
ADRsource is dedicated to the development of professional excellence. The panel convenes frequently to develop and share insights and strategies related to successful mediation and efficient arbitration. While the panel is highly skilled and experienced, collaborative learning through shared insights promotes the continued evolution of each practitioner.
ADRsource is a Florida Bar approved CLE provider and leverages this to develop internal programming to provide continuing education credits to the panel in conjunction with professional development.
The continued pursuit of excellence is a core principle for ADRsource, according to Lord. “We are dedicated to using our collective experience to constantly refine our skills. I am inspired by the novel and creative ideas that are generated though our panel discussions.”
ADRsource places great value upon persistence in mediation. The firm believes that the real need for a skilled mediator comes when the negotiation reaches its most difficult points.
“A big part of being any good as a mediator is simply not giving up,” Baughan said. “People will become frustrated at times and may even express that mediation is a waste of time. It is in these moments that the mediator has to bring the most energy and creativity to find a way past these challenges.”
“Our clients expect us to show up and work hard, whether it is as a mediator, arbitrator, or special magistrate,” Lord said. “We welcome these expectations and pledge to meet them every time for the matters entrusted to us.”
