ADR Systems is excited to welcome Hon. Brendan A. O’Brien, (Ret.) as a new senior mediator and arbitrator at ADR Systems. Judge O’Brien previously served for 10 years in the Circuit Court of Cook County, managing a heavy caseload in the Law Division Trial Section, settling more than 1,000 cases in the past five years […]
Read More
ADR Systems’ neutrals settle substantially all personal injury disputes before them; however, sometimes, parties simply cannot see eye to eye. Despite our neutrals’ warnings, parties take their cases to trial and assume numerous risks. Losing, of course, is the most obvious risk. It means no recovery for the plaintiff or a judgment for the defendant. […]
Read More
ADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for September 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features construction accident, medical malpractice, personal injury, premises liability and wrongful death cases settled by […]
Read More
A high-low agreement is a tool by which disputing parties can set maximum and minimum recovery values and obviate risks at play in litigation.
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for August 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features construction accident, negligence and wrongful death cases settled by Hon. John P. Callahan, Jr., (Ret.), […]
Read More
ADR Systems’ senior mediators and arbitrators are so effective at settling employment, contract and insurance coverage disputes that they appear in almost every edition of the Commercial Settlement Report. Our neutrals’ skill at settling these cases is rooted in their legal acumen and ability to facilitate dialogue between business professionals, underscore the risk of litigation and […]
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for July 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features product liability, police chase and medical malpractice cases settled by Hon. Christopher E. Lawler, (Ret.), […]
Read More
This article was originally published in the Illinois Bar Journal and can be accessed here. Beginning July 1, 2022, the Illinois supreme court imposed Time Standards for Case Closure for lawsuits filed on or after Jan. 1, 2022 (the “Time Standards”).[1] The Supreme Court determined that an outer limit of 36 months is appropriate for 98 percent of cases to […]
Read More
ADR Systems’ senior mediators and arbitrators are so effective at settling medical malpractice, wrongful death and auto liability disputes that they appear in almost every edition of our monthly Personal Injury Settlement Reports. Our neutrals’ skill at settling these cases is rooted in their legal acumen and ability to facilitate constructive negotiations between the parties […]
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for June 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features medical malpractice, negligence, premises liability and sexual assault cases settled by Hon. Dennis J. […]
Read More
Litigation is civil combat. Mediation is not. It is the facilitated negotiation of a settlement that concludes all litigation. But getting to a signed settlement agreement requires negotiation, where certain obstacles can hamper, prolong or even derail the mediation process. In this article, we identify common obstacles to effective negotiation observed by our neutrals and […]
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for May 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features construction accident, negligence, product liability and wrongful death cases settled by Hon. John P. […]
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for April 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features negligence, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases settled by Hon. John P. Callahan, Jr., (Ret.), […]
Read More
Mediation is not simply a more formal version of traditional bargaining. It is a fundamentally different negotiation environment — one that is non-zero-sum and interest-based. When attorneys approach mediation with rigid, “fixed pie,” and win-lose thinking, they often hinder settlement rather than advance it. Successful mediation requires a deliberate shift in mindset from positional advocacy […]
Read MoreADR Systems has released its Personal Injury Settlement Report for March 2026, which features a sample of unique personal injury cases settled by our mediators in the previous month. Review the report now. Case Types, Neutrals & Claims This month’s report features auto liability, medical malpractice, railroad crossing, signage and trucking negligence cases settled by Hon. […]
Read MoreJudge Burke successfully mediated a complicated case with little chance of being resolved. He read every word of the parties' submissions, asked astute questions, and worked hard to find a path to resolution. Judge Burke communicated with the parties themselves - so that they felt they were important participants in working toward resolution. The case I thought was never going to settle, settled.
Robert W. Smyth, Jr., Esq.Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth
CALL ADR SYSTEMS
