What should mediators disclose to parties who are considering appointing them as their mediator? Mediators are supposed to be neutral, so parties want to know about any connections a mediator may have with a party or attorney that might make them biased. The Michigan Mediator Standards of Conduct provide guidance on this. They require mediators […]

Michigan mediators have been wrestling with what they must disclose to potential mediation parties, especially since the Hartman case. That was the divorce case where the mediator did not disclose to the husband or his attorney that she was good friends with the wife’s attorney—such good friends that she flew to Florida to spend a […]

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are contracts binding parties to keep quiet, often to keep quiet about their dispute and its settlement. NDAs have come under increasing scrutiny of late, because they have permitted wrongdoers to go on to harm others. One famous example is Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was sued several times for his sexual […]