Mediation and Settlement Facilitation with Frances Crockett
Frances has been litigating cases for close to 20 years. In 2020 she decided to start her mediation and arbitration practice. Since that time, she has had the privilege to help successfully resolve cases involving civil rights, employment, and personal injury.
Those who have worked with Frances, either as a litigator, mediator, or arbitrator, know that she works very hard to achieve the best outcome. Frances always explores the opportunity to seek non-monetary avenues which, in many cases, helps reach a successful resolution. Frances understands that often mediation is the only opportunity before trial to seek any resolution. In addition, Frances understands the value of resolving a case in which the Parties are in control of the outcome.
“When a case is taken to trial, the jury is left in control versus in mediation when the parties are in control and can direct the outcome. This is choice and is powerful when recognized for its full potential.”
Frances often tells the tale of two brothers and one orange. The father died and left his two sons one orange. Each son believed that they should have gotten the orange. The Judge, recognizing there would be no compromise, cut the orange in half and gave each son one half of the orange. One son took it home and used the inside to make a fancy dessert, throwing away the rind, and the other son took his half home and used the rind to make a fancy drink, throwing away the inside. The moral of this story is that had the two sons taken the time to talk about their disagreement they may have learned that they both could have had more than they ended up with after the Judge was done with them.
Frances is available for mediations in person or via video conference.
Frances has completed the Program on Negotiation Global course, offered by the Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School.
Frances is a highly experienced litigator with years of trial experience birth in Federal and State court and understands that some cases are not ripe for mediation. The right to a trial is one of the most fundamental rights each American has and as such, this right, in some cases, must be exercised.