Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediation
Building upon his twenty-five years of representing clients in all
manner of business, property and commercial disputes, Gary Leydig has
expanded his practice to provide services as a mediator. Mr. Leydig
holds a Certificate in Mediation from the University of Chicago, Graham
School, and has been certified as a mediator for the Circuit Court of
Cook County Law Division Major Case Court-Annexed Civil Mediation Program.
He is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, as well as
the American Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association’s
Sections on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Arbitration
Gary Leydig is an arbitrator for business, commercial and property
disputes, and is a member of the American Arbitration Association's
Commercial Panel of Arbitrators.
How can a litigator be a “neutral”?
While Gary Leydig’s role as a neutral may seem in conflict with
an adversarial litigation practice, it actually flows quite naturally
from that practice. Mr. Leydig’s wide-ranging commercial practice
has resulted in him representing clients aligned on most sides of most
disputes. He has seen, heard and analyzed most commercial disputes from
all sides. Critically, one of the reasons for his success as a litigator
has been his ability to objectively recognize the strengths and weaknesses
in both his and his opponents’ cases. Being able to make these
objective assessments, and being able to effectively articulate those
assessments to his clients, has resulted in his cases being settled
when they should be settled and tried to judgment when they should be
tried. That same ability to understand, appreciate and communicate the
complexities of law, fact and human emotion that are presented by adverse
parties in a mediation session enables Gary Leydig to facilitate frank
and productive settlement negotiations. The ability to honestly and
objectively assess the merits of the facts and law in his own cases
is equally effective when Mr. Leydig is asked by the parties to an arbitration
to hear and resolve their disputes.
