This letter will follow up on the recent mediation that you did for us in the case of Morphew v. Kampe, et al. here at my office in Albuquerque. I did want to take this opportunity to write to you and thank you for your efforts in settling what was a very complex medical malpractice case.
I was very impressed with your preparation of this case in that it appeared as though you had read all the materials and became very well versed in both the facts of our case and the law. You did seem to understand the specific nuances of the New Mexico Medical Malpractice Act as well as anyone I have met that does not live with the Act on a daily basis. It was truly a pleasure working with you on this matter and if the occasion arises I do look forward to working with you again in the future.
As you know, I have been practicing law for just over 30 years now with an almost exclusive emphasis on defense litigation. In addition to doing a great deal of professional liability defense litigation I am also corporate counsel for the particular medical malpractice carrier that was involved in this case. Additionally, I have been involved in a great many of the national cases dealing with health related issues such as: the Pedicle Screw litigation, DES litigation, and DPT litigation. As a result of my years of experience I have met many mediators and have sometimes been disappointed. This was certainly not the case with you.
You are free to use this letter as a letter of reference and recommendation to anyone else who may be looking for an experienced, competent, and reasonable mediator. While there is a great distance between us located here in New Mexico and you in Georgia, I do hope that we find the opportunity to work together again. Thanks again for your efforts.
I recently mediated a nursing home negligence case with Richard Strauss, who was proposed as the mediator by plaintiff. Plaintiff's decedent had a brief residency at one of the defendant facilities and lengthier residencies at two others. I was impressed by Richard's assimilation of the complex medical facts and his analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of plaintiff's case against each of the three defendants. Because of his background in long term care and because of thorough preparation, he knew the case. He also knew how to handle the lawyers and representatives of the three defendants when the negotiations intensified and relative contributions to joint offers became controversial. He succeeded in negotiating a global settlement which was in the best interest of all parties. I will continue to use Richard as a mediator in the future and I commend him to you.
Our firm has had the recent experience of working with Richard M. Strauss, Esquire on the mediation of a complicated medical malpractice/pharmacy lawsuit. I found Mr. Strauss to have expertise in the medical malpractice area of the claim and he also had a unique grasp of the pharmacy issues as well.
Richard was prepared and was able to explain the key issues of the case. I believe that by setting the tone at the outset of the mediation he created a conciliatory environment necessary for the ultimate compromise and resolution of our issues.
Richard was willing to offer options and suggestions throughout the entire settlement negotiation phase of the mediation. I was also impressed with Richard Strauss' willingness to travel anywhere at no expense to the parties to mediate these cases. I do not believe that our case would have settled without a person with the expertise and abilities that Richard Strauss presented at our mediation conference.
Our case did not settle at the first mediation conference. However, Richard Strauss continued to work with both sides and finally came up with ideas which allowed both Plaintiffs and my client to reach what was a satisfactory solution and resolution of the case. I believe that Richard Strauss' skills were the reason why this occurred.
Should you wish to discuss our experiences with Richard Strauss, please do not hesitate to call.