reservation and billing

Our rates are as follows:

     $250/party/hour for a 2-party* mediation

     $200/party/hour for a 3-party* mediation

     $175/party/hour for a 4-party* mediation

 Time for travel outside of the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties) will be billed at $200/hour, up to a maximum of five hours total per mediation. 

These rates are effective for mediations booked after July 18, 2024.

* In some mediations, multiple parties may be treated as one “side” for billing purposes (i.e., where an attorney is in the same room with multiple parties who share the same legal positions). The number of negotiating parties will be determined solely by the mediator.   

The hourly charges include time spent reviewing materials and attending telephone conferences before and after the conference, attending the mediation session (including time spent assisting the parties in preparing / circulating / modifying a settlement agreement or term sheet and waiting for the parties to review and comment on it), as well as for any appropriate follow-up, and reporting the mediation outcome to the court.

Cancellations -- If the mediation by Zoom or at counsel's office is cancelled prior to the day of mediation, there is no cancellation fee, but I will prepare an invoice for any time spent in preparation prior to receiving notice of cancellation, for any non-refundable expenses (i.e., room, food / beverage expenses, travel costs in excess of the travel fee cap -- see below), and for the entirety of any actual travel time (billed at travel rates).

For mediations scheduled to occur at space I arrange, certain venues that rent space have cancellation policies that allow for the partial and/or complete refund of the room fees, provided adequate notice of cancellation is given. For such mediations, please inquire of my office regarding the venue’s cancellation policy. I encourage counsel to set a calendar reminder to ensure that the venue’s cancellation deadline will be met such that unnecessary expenses can be avoided.  For these mediations, there are also minimum, as discussed in the next section.

Minimums

 If an in-person mediation session at space I arrange commences as planned, a six-hour minimum/day scheduled for the conference will be charged for full-day mediations, and a three-hour minimum/day scheduled will be charged for half-day mediations. These minimums do not apply to Zoom mediation or mediations held at counsel's office in the Tampa Bay area (i.e., outside of Hillsborough / Pinellas Counties). 

Invoices are generated within a day or two of mediation, and payment is due from the law firm upon receipt.

I understand that lawyers often forward mediation invoices to their clients for direct payment, but I look to both your client and the law firms which engage me as the parties ultimately responsible (jointly and severally) for payment.  If for any reason you are not comfortable with this arrangement, please let me know at least five days before the mediation and provide me with the name of a client representative I can contact to arrange payment of a security deposit in advance of the mediation.  Any such deposit must be received at least 48 hours prior to mediation.

All unrepresented (pro se) parties must pay a deposit at least five days in advance of mediation.   The mediation participants (parties or their counsel) in all cases assigned by the Southern District of Florida all must pay a deposit at least five days in advance of mediation.  Deposits include, but are note limited to, all actual or expected costs (as outlined above) and fees for minimum hourly and applicable travel time.    I reserve the right to require receipt of a deposit in advance of mediation sufficient to cover ) in every case.  Please contact  our office for payment details.