This summer, the United States District Court for the Western District of New York declared that all new civil filings (with certain exceptions) will be subject to immediate referral to alternative dispute resolution. This rule became effective July 1, 2012, and it is anticipated that civil cases already pending will be referred for mediation as well. Under the ADR plan, which can be found on the District Court’s website, an ADR intervention will be scheduled at the Rule 16 conference. Parties in litigation will have the opportunity to select a mediator with the opposing parties from a panel of those certified by the Western District.

Goldberg Segalla partner Patrick B. Naylon is a Certified Federal Court Mediator and a member of the Western District’s panel. He has also completed mediation training in accordance with New York Unified Court Systems Part 146. Pat has extensive ADR experience, having mediated cases for Resolute Inc. and National Arbitration and Mediation, as well as for individual attorneys.

Pat brings to his mediation work the advantage of having over 30 years of civil litigation experience in the state and federal courts, as well as handling dozens of trials to verdict in the civil rights, employment, and personal injury arenas in particular.

If you have questions about the new mandatory mediation program, or about other aspects of ADR, please contact:

Patrick B. Naylon (585.295.8320; pnaylon@goldbergsegalla.com)