Avoiding the Dispute Before It Begins: Episode 1: An Introduction to Dispute Prevention for Business

Host Allen Waxman spoke with guests Jim Groton and Ellen Waldman. Jim is a retired partner of the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland), where he formerly led the Construction and Dispute Prevention and Resolution practice of that firm. Jim is considered the “father” of dispute prevention and is the inaugural recipient of CPR’s Outstanding Leadership in Dispute Prevention award in 2022. Ellen Waldman is a former law professor of alternative dispute resolution, publishing more than 25 articles and books. She is now Vice President at the CPR Institute, and leader of many of the Institute’s Dispute Prevention initiatives. Jim discussed the genesis and evolution of dispute prevention and its value to business relationships. Ellen reviewed a number of mechanisms that can be deployed in support of dispute prevention.