Author Archives: stevemehta

Major Mistakes In Mediation Briefs

Posted on November 22, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta It is never ceases to fascinate me that there are so many styles of providing mediation briefs.  Recently, I   received a brief that screamed “I don’t want to do this case.” As a result, I thought I might give some of the biggest mistakes in mediation briefs.   Don’t Know Your [...] Continue reading →

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What Grade is Your Settlement?

Posted on November 16, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta Many times when parties to mediation talk about the settlement value of a case, they talk about one number.  The case should settle for $100,000, or $50,000, or whatever number is at issue.  However, all too often that single number is a flawed method of helping you to figure out the [...] Continue reading →

Posted in a, amount, b, c, calculate, d, f, grades, identify, Mediation, negotiate, negotiation, preparation, range, settlement, value, values | Comments Off

How To Receive Criticism

Posted on November 7, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta There comes a time in every mediator, litigator or person’s life when somebody that you have a relationship with — whether it be business or personal — gives you criticism.  How you react can make a huge difference. The criticism I speak of is not criticism that you know is coming [...] Continue reading →

Posted in argument, care, caring, criticism, critique, giving, handle, how to, Mediation, mindfulness, negotiation, receiving | Comments Off

What is the Reason For A Mediation Not Resolving a Case In The First Session, You Answer?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by stevemehta

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Which Came First, The Chicken or the Egg?

Posted on October 30, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta It has been several months since I have last written, and I thought I would get back into writing.  Some of the reasons that haven’t written were vacation, burnout, family crises, busy life and practice, and other issues.   I also found that writing was important to me for my own [...] Continue reading →

Posted in breaking, chicken, egg, impasse, logjam, Mediation, mediator, negotiation | Comments Off

Face to Face and Social Media

Posted on July 11, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta I was at a convention recently presenting on how to interact with difficult people.  At that seminar I met a friend of mine from Facebook, Kia Feyzjou.  It reminded me of a thought I saw in a post. Face-to-face interactions help you push your thinking. I’m at Meetup because I get more [...] Continue reading →

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Writing as a Tool To Heal and Gain Control In Mediation

Posted on July 5, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta In many mediations, I am ofton confronted with the question of client control.  Does the other lawyer have “client control,” I am often asked.  Many times, the lawyer tells me that he or she has no client control.  Indeed, in a mediation last week, I experienced a case where the lawyer [...] Continue reading →

Posted in client, control, distress, emotional, heal, Mediation, power, Pyschological Research and negotiations, wounds, writing | Comments Off

What Do the End of the Worlders, Austin Powers and Mediation Have to Do With Each Other?

Posted on June 28, 2011 by stevemehta

Recently, I was at a soccer tournament recently and a goal keeper saved a goal. At the same time, one of the parents jokingly stated that the Goalkeeper had saved the world. How, I asked. The parent then reminded me that a religious organization had recently professed that the world was going to end on that exact date and time. At that same time, the Goal keeper had saved the goal, and as a result saved the soccer team from total destruction. The next day, the religious organization claimed that they had miscalculated and that the new date was really the end of the world. That world saving goal keeper got me thinking about why people are convinced about their positions and why they don’t change their mind even in the face of overwhelming evidence. That process brought me to the the concept of the Backfire Effect. Continue reading →

Posted in austin, backfire, belief, Brendan, conviction, convinced, David McRaney, effect, influence, jason, Mediation, Nyhan, persuade, persuasion, powers, Pyschological Research and negotiations, Reifler, research, study | Comments Off

Don’t Judge a Mediation By its Cover

Posted on June 15, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta Recently I was reminded of the the old adage, “never judge a book by its cover.”  Prior to mediation, one of the parties to the mediation wrote that the case will never settle.  At that point the attorney for the party proceeded to write a compendium about why the case will [...] Continue reading →

Posted in book, case, communication, cover, judge, Mediation, mediator, negotiation, negotiator, perception, prejudge | Comments Off

Edison: Opportunity is Disguised as Work

Posted on June 3, 2011 by stevemehta

By Steven G. Mehta Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison This quote addresses some of the issues of starting a mediation practice.  Many people want to be mediators; they just don’t want to do the work to become a mediator.  It is [...] Continue reading →

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