Thursday, May 21, 2009
Page 3
JAMS Explains Formation of International ADR Venture
By STEVEN M. ELLIS, Staff Writer
Nationwide arbitration and mediation service provider JAMS said yesterday that it is forming an international alternative dispute resolution center to provide mediation and arbitration of cross-border disputes, and training services worldwide.
JAMS, which has offices in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, said it would be partnering with ADR Center in Italy to form what will be known as JAMS International ADR Center.
The first JAMS International ADR Center will have offices in Rome and New York, and JAMS said additional hearing locations were planned in Geneva, London and Brussels as part of a network of international centers.
Announcing the new firm, JAMS cited a need for more effective mediation and arbitration services due to recent initiatives within member countries of the European Union fostering increased use of dispute resolution outside the courts, including the 27-member bloc’s Mediation Directive.
Approved by the European Parliament and the European Council in 2008, the directive encourages the use of mediation as a cost-effective and quicker alternative to civil litigation for cross-border commercial disputes.
JAMS President and CEO Chris Poole said that his firm had been looking for the right partner in Europe to “jump start our entry into that market for some time,” and complimented ADR center for demonstrating “the same quest for quality and ethics as JAMS” over the past 10 years.
“We know that this first JAMS International ADR Center will thrive under the current leadership,” he said.
ADR Center co-founder Giuseppe De Palo said he and co-founder Leonardo D’Urso were “thrilled to embark on this relationship with JAMS, which has set the gold-standard for mediation and arbitration services.”
D’Urso added:
“As the use of arbitration and mediation broadens worldwide, the value proposition that JAMS International ADR Center provides is to help attorneys, businesses, governments and all users of cross-border arbitration and mediation make those processes more effective, efficient, responsive, fair and less expensive.”
Poole said the new firm planned to partner with local and regional mediation and arbitration experts in order to improve outcomes for mediation and arbitration users involved in cross-border disputes.
“Arbitration and mediation have been used for years, however, our inter-connected world economy has caused the number of commercial disputes to skyrocket in recent years,” he said. “We want to be part of the solution for those who have become frustrated by ineffective services. Arbitration, when used to its full advantage, provides clear benefits of time and cost savings to the sophisticated international user.”
Copyright 2009, Metropolitan News Company