Alternative Dispute Resolution An Essential Competency for Lawyers

• Written by an esteemed and experienced practitioner with extensive knowledge of litigation and transactions involving trademarks, copyright and unfair competition law, practicing at a top firm renowned for intellectual property law specialty
• This unique book combines valuable information as well as strategic advice in obtaining the best possible practices and outcomes in Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Highlights and explains the skill sets necessary to develop in order to optimize Alternative Dispute Resolution practices through helpful case study analysis

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has become a critical competency for intellectual property (IP) practice. Litigators and corporate counsel are compelled by the realities of federal court litigation to master the skills, strategies and tactics of ADR. The escalating cost of IP litigation leads clients to demand alternative solutions. Industry surveys disclose that the average cost to pursue an IP case through trial will exceed $5,000,000 (five million). Despite that high cost, the likelihood that counsel has relevant trial experience has dramatically declined as less that 1.5% of civil actions are resolved by trial. Thus it is no surprise that corporate clients favor some form of ADR as an alternative to federal litigation. As a result, successful litigators must master ADR or be left behind as clients turn to attorneys with the experience and knowledge to use ADR to achieve the clients' goals. 

This book provides litigators, corporate counsel and in-house attorneys with the information and knowledge necessary to understand the options available for using ADR to resolve IP disputes, to create an effective strategy for using ADR, to achieve better results at a lower cost, and to control the ADR process as an effective advocate. The title serves as a handbook to explain the nature and use of ADR for IP disputes, including an assessment of the rising need for the use of ADR, the benefits available through the use of ADR, the tactics and tools available as an alternative to civil litigation, cases studies where ADR has been used to achieve improved results, and advice and tips for advocacy in ADR, with special emphasis on mediation skills. Relevant statutes and case law are included within a larger narrative built on stories and cases studies. 

Part One of the book deals with strategic considerations involved in ADR. It explores why ADR is important today for the resolution of IP disputes. It then covers the key benefits of ADR and dispels the typical reasons given to avoid the use of ADR. Part Two of the book covers the nuts and bolts of ADR. It describes the various types of ADR available to counsel for IP disputes. This section also explains the various providers of ADR services, the means to lead a problem into ADR (contractual provisions, court mandate, corporate and industry policy) and the legal basis for the use and enforcement of ADR results. Part Three shows the application of ADR methods to various disputes through the use of case studies. This section shows how ADR allows for creative solutions that cannot be obtained in the all or nothing environment of a court decision. Part Four closes the book with tips and advice on advocacy in ADR, especially mediation which involves a distinctive skill set that is often misunderstood and poorly utilized by litigators.