I am writing this letter recommending the services of Richard Strauss as a mediator, especially in cases involving complex, multi-party litigation. Recently, Mr. Strauss served as the mediator in a matter involving six parties arising out of some fairly complex factual and legal disputes surrounding the care and treatment an elderly man received in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
I found Mr. Strauss' qualifications and background to be of great assistance in resolving the matter. From the defense perspective, Mr. Strauss brings unique qualities based on his experience in the claims management process which defense clients find refreshing.
Furthermore, Mr. Strauss was able to assimilate an incredible volume of information (there were over 60 depositions taken in the case prior to his involvement and thousands of pages of complicated medical information). Over a period of less than two days, he was able to digest this information and develop not only general factual strengths and weaknesses for both plaintiffs and the defendants, but also particularized strengths and weaknesses for each of the individual parties. In fact, Mr. Strauss was able to identify one key factual issue from the defense perspective that had not been fully developed despite over 14 months of discovery and in excess of 60 depositions.
As you can imagine, this level of preparation creates a strong aura of credibility when discussing the risks and benefits of settlement with all parties. When Mr. Strauss offered specific options and suggestions, they were met with greater credibility in light of his nearly Herculean efforts in learning how different facts created different levels of exposure for each party.
I recommend Mr. Strauss' services without hesitation or reservation. His flat fee approach is ideally suited for multi-party litigation.