At the end of 2015, the Oakland County Business Court established a case management protocol applicable to all cases within its jurisdiction. The protocol covers a variety of topics and procedures, including electronic service, status conferences, and discovery and e-discovery. Practitioners in the Oakland County Business Court need to familiarize themselves with these guidelines, which can be found on the court's website.
In a recent article, co-authors Hon. John C. Foster, Richard L. Hurford, and Douglas L. Toering reviewed the statute establishing Michigan's business courts, the rationale behind it, and a comparison of arbitration, as well as offering a protocol for pre-litigation mediation.
Effective joint sessions just don’t happen by giving parties carte blanche to talk; like all other aspects of the mediation process preparation and planning are essential. Two of the fundamental purposes of the joint session are to persuasively impact the opposing party’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement (“BATNA”) and enhance the effectiveness of the discussions that will take place between the mediator and each party during subsequent private caucuses.
The Michigan Judicial Institute, the State Court Administrative Office’s continuing education division, held its annual Judicial Conference on October 27-28 in Grand Rapids, and Richard Hurford was one of the speakers to take the podium.
The International Academy of Mediators – an elite, invitation-only organization comprising the most successful and highly trained professional neutrals in the world – recently honored Richard Hurford as a Distinguished Fellow.
