Most people meet us in the middle of a dispute. That’s the loud moment. But the work we do actually spans the whole life of a business relationship, from the day a contract is signed to the day a disagreement ends.
We offer four related services. Each fits a different moment. Here’s the honest map.
1. Contract clauses, before any dispute exists
The cheapest dispute is the one that never ripens into a fight. We help you — and, ideally, your counterpart — write a dispute resolution clause into your contracts that commits both sides to a neutral-driven process if a disagreement arises.
This does two things. It gives everyone a known, affordable path before emotions are involved. And in our experience it deters the opportunistic lawsuit: a claim loses much of its leverage when it can’t threaten years of expensive litigation.
Every contract is different, so this isn’t a one-size-fits-all paragraph. The clause should match the deal. The earlier it’s in place, the better it works.
Fits: any recurring contract — vendors, customers, partners, subcontractors.
2. Dispute consultations, when something goes wrong
When a disagreement surfaces, the first question is rarely “how do we fight?” It’s “what is this, and what are my options?” We meet with you, look at where the dispute stands, and help you see the realistic paths — including the paths that don’t involve us.
We also provide practical templates, like a notice of dispute — the letter that formally tells the other side a disagreement exists and proposes a way to resolve it.
Fits: the early, undecided stage, when the right move is still open.
3. Mediation, when both sides want a deal
Mediation is the nonbinding option. A neutral mediator works with both sides to find a settlement they can each accept. The mediator recommends and facilitates; they don’t impose. Nothing is enforceable unless the parties sign a settlement agreement.
This fits when the relationship matters and both sides genuinely want out of the dispute. It’s faster and less adversarial than any decided process, because nobody has to lose.
Fits: parties who still talk to each other and want to keep it that way. More in What Is Mediation.
4. Binding resolution, when you need an answer
Sometimes a deal isn’t there and you need a decision. This is Neutral-Driven Resolution in its binding form, and it runs in three steps: Choose one neutral expert both sides can trust. The neutral investigates the facts and the law — no dueling legal teams, no drawn-out discovery. Then they resolve it with a decision, usually in weeks, for a flat fee agreed before we start.
Binding means the decision, like an arbitration award, is generally enforceable. Both sides choose binding or nonbinding up front, so nobody is surprised by what the outcome means.
Fits: ordinary business money disputes, roughly $10,000 to $1,000,000 — the range where litigation costs more than it’s worth. See dispute value range.
Where we honestly don’t fit
Below about $10,000, small claims court is cheap and adequate; use it. And some cases belong in court no matter the cost: you need a precedent, a judge’s power to freeze assets, or an order that binds third parties. We’ll tell you when that’s your situation.
How the pieces connect
The services are one idea applied at four moments: put a neutral, truth-seeking process where the lawyer-versus-lawyer machine would otherwise go. The clause plants it in the contract. The consultation finds the right path. Mediation and binding resolution are the two ways the path can end — by agreement, or by decision.
Our pricing is built around this: plans are sized by how many contracts and dispute consultations you need each year, and every plan includes the full method. Start at the contract stage if you can. It’s the one moment where the whole dispute is still avoidable.