Richard Hurford offers a wealth of ADR experience in ADR, amassed over his career as a seasoned and respected litigator, mediator, and neutral.

As a partner with Dykema Gossett, Richard represented the interests of diverse businesses and individuals in the litigation and resolution of employment, labor, medical malpractice, products liability, general commercial, trade secret, non-compete, and business-to-business contract disputes. As a shareholder with Ogletree Deakins, his experience included representing employers in employment disputes (state, federal courts and agencies), conducting confidential internal investigations of suspected violations of corporate policies state and federal laws, and providing counsel on system designs, including litigation and claims protocols, dispute resolution programs, internal reporting processes, and proprietary and confidential information protection programs.  As the Director of Litigation for Masco Corporation, he was responsible for processing the company’s entire litigation and claims portfolio, conducting confidential internal investigations, and engaging in dispute resolution activities throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada. At Masco, he implemented novel and effective ADR programs that significantly enhanced stakeholder satisfaction and company profitability.

Throughout his career, Richard has personally participated in hundreds of mediations and other ADR processes as either an attorney or neutral.  In addition to his services as a respected neutral mediator, he is also experienced in various ADR processes such as Med-Arb, Summary Jury Trials, Neutral Expert Evaluations, Mini Trials, Dispute Resolution Boards, and as a Dispute Resolution Advisor.

Together with Paul Monicatti, Richard established Strongbridge Negotiation Strategists, to assist people and organizations achieve better outcomes through effective negotiation.

EDUCATION

EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, Executive MBA Program, magna cum laude

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT SCHOOL OF LAW, Juris Doctor, summa cum laude

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY, Master of Arts in History, summa cum laude

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Bachelor of Arts in History

CERTIFICATIONS

Legal Lean Sigma Green Belt (LSSO Institute)

Certified Civil Mediator (Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office)

Advanced Mediation & Arbitration Training (Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law)

Court Approved Mediator (U.S. District Court and Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County Circuit Courts)

Business Court Neutral (Macomb and Wayne County Circuit Courts)

HONORS & AWARDS

Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame (2019)

Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (2017 to present)

Fellow, International Academy of Mediators (2015 to present)

Best Lawyers in America®:  Top Tier awards in the areas of Litigation and Labor & Employment (2011 to present)

DBusiness Top Lawyer, ADR (2015 to present)

Legal Leaders - Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment (2015 to present)

State Bar ADR Section, Distinguished Service Award (2014)

Macomb County Bar Association, Distinguished Service Award (2014)

Martindale Hubbell:  AV Preeminent rating (1995 through the present)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ASSOCIATIONS

American Arbitration Association’s Michigan Advisory Committee

American Association for Justice

American Bar Association

Association for Conflict Resolution

Southeastern Michigan Chapter (President)

Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association

ADR Committee (Past Chair) 

Engineering Society of Detroit

ADR Committee (Past Chair)

Federal Bar Association - Eastern District of Michigan

ADR Committee (Past co-Chair)

International Academy of Mediators

Macomb County Bar Association

ADR Committee (Past Chair)

Michigan Defense Trial Counsel

Michigan State Court Administrative Office

Task Force on Early ADR

Michigan Supreme Court Task Forces

Diversity in ADR

Early ADR

Formulation of the Mediation Court Rule

Summary Jury Trial

Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan (PREMi)

Oakland County Bar Association

ADR Committee (Past Chair)

State Bar of Michigan

ADR Section (Past President)

Member of the Business Law, Employment & Labor, Insurance & Indemnification, Litigation, and Negligence Sections

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

“What’s a Business Litigator to Do: The Vanishing Jury Trial and the Litigotiation Option” Business Law Journal (May 2019)

"Business Courts & Early ADR," Joint Meeting of the State Bar of Michigan ADR and Business Law Sections (November 2015)

“Considering the Bigger Picture of Early Case Assessment,” Michigan Supreme Court Judicial Conference (October 2015) 

In-House Counsel Forum on the use of ADR, Oakland County Bar Association (May 2015)

"ADR Within ADR: The Business Courts -- a Laboratory for Litigation Process Improvement," Richard L. Hurford and the Hon. John C. Foster, Michigan Bar Journal (January 2015)

"Are Fast Track Jury Trials Another ADR Option?", ADR Quarterly (August 2014)

"Early ADR for the Courts," Michigan Judicial Institute (February 2014)

"Arbitration: Is it Losing Its Way as a Cost Effective, Speedy and Efficient Resolution of Disputes," LSSO RainDance Conference (June 2014)

"Early ADR," National Judicial College/Michigan Judicial Institute (October 2013)

Early ADR Summit, SCAO Office of Dispute Resolution (September 2013)

"Interest Based Bargaining," Michigan Judicial Institute (July 2013)

"A Taxonomy of ADR," (co-author) published by the Macomb County Bar Association (September 2013)

“Ready or Not, Here They Come: Business Courts and ADR,” Michigan Lawyers Weekly (May 13, 2013)

“Promoting Early Facilitation and Mediation,” 12th Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Institute for Continuing Legal Education (March 21, 2013)

“Future Employment and Labor Law Trends and the Role of the Legal Department in Risk Management,” Association of Corporate Counsel Quarterly Program (2012)

“Managing Risk in the Negotiation Process - Analyzing the Risk,” 10th Annual Advanced Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Institute, Institute for Continuing Legal Education (March 17, 2011)

“Labor and Employment Due Diligence,” “The Efficacy of Mandatory Dispute Mechanisms for Employees,” and “Protecting Your Client’s Proprietary and Confidential Information,” State Bar of Michigan Labor & Employment Section/Institute of Continuing Legal Education Conferences (2010 and 2011)

“How Business Clients Systematically and Strategically Evaluate Risk” and “Effective Use of Facilitative Mediation in Achieving Cost Effective Dispute Resolutions that Meet Your Client’s Objectives; and Factors to Consider When Drafting Arbitration Agreements,” State Bar of Michigan ADR Section/Institute of Continuing Legal Education Conferences (2010 and 2011)

“The Vanishing Jury Trial and Judicial Practice,” Federal District Court Judicial Conference (2009)