The Dispute Resolution Section continued its program-packed year into 2022 starting off with a joint program with the Dispute Resolution Section of the Georgia Bar on January 5, 2022. The program addressed “Best Practices for Arbitrators” and featured as its panelists: Taylor Tapley Daly (Nelson Mullins), Judge Neal Dickert (Dickert Mediation), Grant Greenwood (James Bates Brannan Groover LLP), and Jeff Ward (Miles Mediation). The program was moderated by Erika Berg (Nelson Mullins).

Our next program was on February 2, 2022, featuring John Allen Chalk (Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC) and author of the “The Arbitration Newsletter” who presented on the topic “The Arbitrator as Process Manager”. Scott Zucker (Weismann/ Zucker) moderated that session. Recently, on March 4, 2022, the Dispute Resolution Section held a program, together with the Litigation Section of the Atlanta Bar, titled “The Truth About Judicially Hosted Settlement Conferences.” The panelists included: Judge Catherine Salinas (United States Magistrate), Judge Philip Etheridge (Former Fulton County Superior Court), and Terrence Lee Croft (JAMS). The moderator for that session was Frank Lightmas, Jr. (Law Offices of Frank A. Lightmas Jr.).

The Dispute Resolution Section hosted a breakfast program on April 6, 2022. The Topic of April’s program was “Resolving Health Care Disputes Spurred by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Best practices and hot tips from Atlanta health care experts for mediating and resolving disputes between health care professionals and their partners, employers, patients, insurers, and more.” The panelists were: Hunter Allen (Bendin Sumrall & Ladner LLC), Bernard Taylor (JAMS), and Sidney Welch (Akerman LLP). The moderator for the program will be Judge Gail Tusan (JAMS). Our last program of the year is scheduled for the evening of May 4, 2022, on the rooftop at Nelson Mullins. The Dispute Resolution Section will be teaming up with the Women in the Profession Section and the Atlanta Council of Younger Lawyers Section to host a “social hour” event, planned to be “live and in-person”, to celebrate the end of the year for the Section and to discuss: “Marketing and Branding Your Practice, Business Development, and Digital/Social Media Marketing.” The Program will be led by EJ Stern (Novateur Partners) and Dr. Megan Hodgkiss (Hodgkiss Consulting LLC) and moderated by Doug Witten (Bay Mediation) and Jennifer Grippa (Miles Mediation).

We hope that all the members of the Bar who are interested in learning about dispute resolution or would like to consider becoming mediators or arbitrators themselves join us for a Section program and learn more about your fellow Bar members who participate.