what does a litigation and dispute resolution attorney do

by Ezequiel Ritchie 3 min read

A litigation and dispute resolution lawyer will advise their client on their legal position, and what chance they have of winning their case at court or in an arbitration. They may then advise on potential ways to settle the dispute and liaise with the other parties involved on their client's behalf to agree the terms of any potential settlement.

KPPB LAW's litigation and dispute resolution attorneys advocate for the rights of both plaintiffs and defendants and are able to represent clients throughout any litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings.

Full Answer

What does a litigation lawyer do?

Litigation and dispute resolution lawyers assist parties involved in business-related disputes to settle them in the most favourable way possible, which may include a dispute resolution procedure. The main types of dispute resolution procedure are: litigation, where a verdict is reached by a judge in court; arbitration, where an independent arbitrator resolves a dispute; and …

What is litigation and Dispute Resolution Training?

Our litigation, trial practice & dispute resolution attorneys can assist with: Agency and other administrative proceedings; Business breakups; Claims in bankruptcy proceedings; Class action litigation; Commercial and contractual disputes; Construction litigation; Defamation disputes; Employment litigation; Fiduciary duty disputes

What are the different methods of dispute resolution?

Apr 19, 2021 · Posted on April 19, 2021. Business litigation encompasses defending or resolving legal disputes between companies and other parties. In many instances, it is used to describe defending companies accused of misconduct or being sued for a variety of reasons. A business litigation lawyer is a legal professional who is able to manage both minor and significant legal …

What is the difference between a barrister and a litigation lawyer?

Litigation and Dispute Resolution The prospect of arguing a case in a courtroom is what attracts many students to law: It covers a wide range of legal areas and involves strategy, advocacy, rhetorical skills, and knowledge of procedure and law.

image

What does a dispute resolution lawyer do?

Civil litigation/dispute resolution solicitors issue court proceedings and deal with disclosure and drafting witness statements. They instruct Counsel to attend the trial, prepare trial bundles and all the documentation required by the court both pre- and post-trial.

Is dispute resolution the same as litigation?

Litigation is the Court method of resolving a dispute where a judge decides the case. Arbitration and mediation are both forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (known as 'ADR').

What is litigation and dispute management?

Litigation refers to the process of preparing and presenting a case in court. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) includes mediation and arbitration, processes which can take place either independently of the court system or during the course of the in-court litigation process.

What is the process of dispute resolution?

Dispute resolution processes fall into two major types: Adjudicative processes, such as litigation or arbitration, in which a judge, jury or arbitrator determines the outcome. Consensual processes, such as collaborative law, mediation, conciliation, or negotiation, in which the parties attempt to reach agreement.

Which is better arbitration or litigation?

Arbitration usually involves limited discovery (i.e. interrogatories, depositions and the like) by which each party obtains information and documents from the other party related to the dispute, making it more streamlined than litigation and considered to be more cost effective than litigation in a court system, where ...Feb 8, 2018

What are the advantages of ADR over litigation?

They are flexible, cost-efficient, time-effective, and give the parties more control over the process and the results. Parties who resolve their disputes through ADR are generally more satisfied because they may directly participate in working out the terms of their settlement.

What are litigation disputes?

Litigation is the process of taking a dispute to a court of law. If parties cannot agree between themselves about the fair and proper outcome of a dispute they will present their respective cases to a court for its judgment. It is a broad term that describes a long and sometimes complex process.Aug 11, 2020

What are the five methods of dispute resolution?

Learn about the methods we use to resolve disputes – arbitration, mediation, conciliation and case appraisal.

What are the 4 types of disputes?

The four types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)Independent negotiation. Not legally binding. Negotiation is often the first option for those wishing to resolve a dispute. ... Mediation. Not legally binding. A mediator is a jointly instructed neutral party. ... Arbitration. Legally binding. ... Conciliation. Not legally binding.Feb 5, 2021

What are the four types of dispute resolution?

The most common types of ADR for civil cases are mediation, settlement conferences, neutral evaluation, and arbitration.

What are the three stages in the dispute process?

There are three main stages to the WTO dispute settlement process: (i) consultations between the parties; (ii) adjudication by panels and, if applicable, by the Appellate Body; and (iii) the implementation of the ruling, which includes the possibility of countermeasures in the event of failure by the losing party to ...

Why are lawyers needed?

Litigation and dispute resolution lawyers advise their clients on the law relating to their case and on strategy.

On the job

A litigation and dispute resolution lawyer will advise their client on their legal position, and what chance they have of winning their case at court or in an arbitration.

What kind of clients do you act for?

We work for large commercial organisations - FTSE 100 companies, multinational firms, financial institutions, and governments.

Can you describe one of your deals?

We acted for an English telecoms plc with operations around the world on a matter that took three years to come to court and which lasted seven months. The dispute concerned competition in the telecoms markets of several Caribbean islands - and yes, my team and I got to spend some time out there!

What do you enjoy about your practice area?

I'm naturally inquisitive, so I like to find out why have people fallen out and what's driving a dispute.

What kind of person is suited to your practice area?

You have to be interested in digging for facts and in building up a picture of what's happened.

What are the current big issues in your practice area?

Now that we all use email, you have to trawl through at least hundreds, and perhaps millions, of documents. It's a challenge to control all that paper and to sift through it to get to the real issues quickly and cost effectively - increased use of electronic searching is one answer.

Why is litigation important?

In many respects, the early stages of litigation are the most important ones because they define and mold any ensuing litigation. The greater the amount of information a lawyer has at the outset, the better the lawyer can formulate a strategy to most effectively protect the client’s interests.

What is the purpose of the discovery stage in a lawsuit?

During a lawsuit’s discovery stage, each party is required to turn over relevant documents and answer questions posed by other parties. The basic purpose of this mandated sharing of information is to enable each side to develop a fuller understanding of the underlying facts.

What is lawyer client privilege?

A ‘lawyer-client privilege’ shields from discovery any information reflecting what the client said to his or her lawyer and visa versa. Clients can inadvertently ‘waive’ the privilege if they are not careful. Lawyers are intent on ensuring that no waiver occurs.

Is the law black and white?

The law often is not black and white when it comes to applying statutes, regulations and case law to a particular set of facts, which is why the outcome of a case can be influenced by the skill with which the lawyer writes the legal brief. In olden days, legal research involved poring over books in a law library.

What is a pre trial motion?

Pre-trial motions. During the pre-trial stage of the litigation, the parties narrow and clarify the issues for trial, which usually involves filing various motions and requesting a ruling from the judge. For instance, a defendant may ask the judge to dismiss one of the plaintiff’s legal claims as groundless.

Can a party amend a pleading?

Although a party may be allowed to ‘amend’ a pleading after it is filed, the court does not always grant permission for this, so litigation lawyers put a great deal of thought and strategic consideration into the process of drafting pleadings, such as a written complaint or a written answer to a complaint.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

If the parties to a dispute cannot work together and reach a solution, we can negotiate the process of alternative dispute resolution. Many contracts require that you initially engage in mediation or arbitration instead of or before taking a matter to court. The most common forms of business litigation alternative dispute resolution are:

Houston Business Litigation Lawyers

Our lawyers have experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in legal disputes. This is a unique advantage as we have experience on both sides of the courtroom and understand the arguments presented by the other attorneys.

What is a mediation clinic?

Mediation: In the Mediation Clinic, students analyze ethical, systemic, and jurisprudential issues involved in alternative dispute resolution and then work as mediators to settle disputes through the courts.

What attracts students to law?

The prospect of arguing a case in a courtroom is what attracts many students to law: It involves strategy, advocacy, rhetorical skills, and knowledge of procedure and law, and it covers a wide range of legal areas. Corporations and jurisdictions in the United States and abroad also turn to alternative methods for dispute resolution, including arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. To be effective problem solvers and to successfully represent their clients, lawyers need to know what methodology to follow.

What is the job of a litigation attorney?

To be able to come up with a correct response, the attorney will assist you in investigating any allegations that have been filed. On top of all of this, it is your attorney’s job to draft pre-trial motions as needed .

How does a litigation attorney start?

A litigation attorney will start out by spending a lot of time consulting with the client. Everything begins with looking through all the evidence that is currently available to see if there is enough to build a strong case. Once they have all of this information, the attorney will spend time coming up with a plan on how to best move forward with the lawsuit.

What is litigation solicitor?

Litigation solicitors assist clients in resolving civil disputes. Disputes can concern anything from unpaid bills or unfulfilled contract terms to problems between landlords and tenants, infringement of IP rights, construction-related claims, the liabilities of insurers, shipping cases, defective products, media and entertainment industry wrangles… the list is endless. And that’s just in the commercial sphere. The most common types of litigation involving private individuals are discussed at length in our personal injury overview.

What is SRA in law?

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires all trainee solicitors to gain some experience working on disputes. People tend to learn early on whether they are suited to this kind of work. At big City firms, the SRA's Practice Skills Standards can be fulfilled by a litigation crash course.

What is the Queen's Bench Division?

Confusingly, there are two divisions of the High Court dealing with civil cases – the Chancery Division and the Queen’s Bench Division (QBD) – and each hears different types of cases. For instance, the Chancery Division handles matters relating to trusts, probate, insolvency, business and land law, while the QBD hears various contract law ...

image

Pleadings

  • One of a litigation lawyer’s first responsibilities is to draft the lawsuit’s initial “pleadings,” which include the written complaint that begins the case and the defendant’s written response to the complaint. As previously said, the lawyer must do an appropriate inquiry into the facts as well a…
See more on sixtymarketing.com

Process of Discovery

  • During the discovery stage of a case, each party is obligated to turn over relevant documents and respond to questions made by the other party. The main goal of this compulsory information exchange is for each side to get a better grasp of the underlying facts. Drafting discovery requests take a lot of expertise, especially when the lawyer knows that the other party in a dispute would …
See more on sixtymarketing.com

Negotiation

  • Mediation, in which opposing parties meet in the presence of an impartial court-appointed person known as a mediator and seek to reach a solution, is an important component of litigation. Mediation is required before any matter may proceed to trial, and it frequently occurs during the case. Dispute resolution minimizes the burden of courts and saves money for taxpayers. Lawyer…
See more on sixtymarketing.com

Pre-Trial

  • The parties narrow and define the issues for trial at the pre-trial stage of the case, which generally entails submitting numerous motions and asking for a judgment from the court. A defendant, for example, could urge the judge to reject one of the plaintiff’s legal claims as frivolous. Additional motions may address evidentiary concerns, such as requesting the judge to prevent a planned w…
See more on sixtymarketing.com

Trial

  • The trial would be the tip of the iceberg if litigation were an iceberg. To put it another way, nearly all of a litigation lawyer’s labor happens before the case goes to trial. A barrister will take up the litigation from the solicitor during the trial. The solicitor, on the other hand, will help the barrister prepare for and conduct the trial. The solicitor must play an important role since he or she has th…
See more on sixtymarketing.com

Appeal Process

  • The fact that the losing side hasthe opportunityto appeal means that the trial court’s decision does not always indicate that the case is closed. The losing party may claim that the court erred in dismissing the case or that the judge lacks the power to restrict the losing party from raising a particular claim or defense. A legal brief will be required for an appeal. Another instance where t…
See more on sixtymarketing.com

The Investigation Stage

Image
The investigation stage almost always involves a careful review of the client’s documents, such as any relevant contracts, agreements or deeds. At this stage, it may be necessary to consult an expert in the relevant field. For instance, if the case is a construction dispute, a litigation lawyer may wish to speak with a civil engine…
See more on pcllawyers.com.au

Pleadings

  • Scientists have microscopes and doctors have stethoscopes, but a lawyer’s primary tools are a pen and paper—or to be more accurate, a keyboard and word-processing software. One of a litigation lawyer’s early tasks in a new case is to prepare the initial ‘pleadings’ in the legal proceedings. ‘Pleadings’ refers to the written statement of claim that initiates a suit (if the client …
See more on pcllawyers.com.au

Discovery

  • A litigation lawyer has an ongoing obligation to the court to discover all relevant materials. During the discovery stage of litigation, each party turns over relevant documents to each other and answers specific questions posed by other parties. The basic purpose of this mandated sharing of information is to enable each side to develop a fuller understanding of the underlying facts. D…
See more on pcllawyers.com.au

Mediation

  • An essential part of litigation is mediation. Mediation is the process where all parties and their representatives meet in the presence of an independent court-appointed person, known as a mediator, and attempt to negotiate a settlement before trial. Mediation is compulsory before any case can go to trial, and often occurs at multiple stages of the litigation. Settling disputes reduc…
See more on pcllawyers.com.au

Trial

  • If litigation were an iceberg, the trial would be its tip. Put differently, almost all of the work a litigation lawyer does occurs before trial. At trial, a barrister will take the reins of the case from the litigation lawyer. However, the litigation lawyer will assist the barrister in preparing for and conducting the trial. As the person with the most in-depth knowledge of the case, the litigation la…
See more on pcllawyers.com.au

Appeal

  • The outcome of the trial does not necessarily end the proceedings because the losing party can still appeal. The losing party may argue, for instance, that the judge erred in dismissing the proceeding or had no legal grounds for barring the party from asserting a particular claim or defence. An appeal will require a legal brief. This is another point at which the litigation lawyer’s …
See more on pcllawyers.com.au