Arbitration

Deborah manages arbitration to achieve a fair, cost-effective, relatively speedy resolution with outcomes strongly grounded in applicable law. Her extensive background in complex transactions, business operations and corporate governance uniquely positions as her as an arbitrator for commercial disputes.

Experienced

Deborah has been the sole arbitrator in numerous matters and wing arbitrator in complex arbitrations. She is experienced in issues of arbitrability and jurisdiction, dispositive motions, emergency and interim relief, discovery disputes, bifurcating issues for efficiency, and baseball processes. She approaches each issue with the dual objectives of fairness and efficiency.

Efficient

She is highly attuned to the need to collect and evaluate relevant information without creating unnecessary delays or expenses. She is adept at running processes efficiently in an open and even-handed manner.

Panel Memberships

Deborah is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is a member of the following arbitration panels:

• American Arbitration Association, Commercial, Consumer, Health Care, Mergers &Acquisitions, Joint Ventures

• American Health Lawyers Association Dispute Resolution Service

• International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (“CPR”), Panel of Neutrals for Arbitration

• Resolute Systems LLC, Panel of Arbitrators

• FINRA Panel of Arbitrators

MEDIATION

Deborah has practical insights into how agreements are reached — or not— from her 35 years’ experience in hundreds of negotiations as principal or counsel. She is grounded in the interrelationship of terms and agreements in complex transactions.

Deborah is adept at listening and questioning to understand the multiple objectives of the parties. She frames communications in a way that impacts the recipient of the message. She seeks to identify and understand the spaces between parties’ positions to provide insight into workable solutions. 

CERTIFICATIONS / PANEL MEMBERSHIP

Deborah is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission for its Superior Court mediation program, which includes its Business Court.  She is a member of the following mediation panels:

• CPR, Panel of Distinguished Neutrals for Mediation

• American Health Lawyers Association Dispute Resolution Service

• The AAA-administered Disaster Mediation Program for Hurricane Florence for the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

DISPUTE PREVENTION and Early Mediation

Deborah is a skilled practitioner of creative problem-solving to resolve disagreements between parties in a commercial relationship. She recognizes that organizations focused on purpose and strategic execution benefit from processes and facilitators that identify, manage and resolve disagreements rather than allowing them to become full-blown disputes in adversarial proceedings. She consults on dispute prevention processes, serves as a relationship facilitator or standing neutral, and conducts mediations before legal proceedings are filed. Her experience as arbitrator and mediation are supplemented by her background as corporate executive, corporate director, restructuring officer and deal-maker.

PANEL MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

• CPR, Dispute Prevention Panel.

• CPR Dispute Prevention Committee

• Facilitator for “Town Hall: The Imperative of Prevention” co-sponsored by the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Section, AAA, CPR and JAMS.

• Relationship Facilitator in CPR Annual Meeting 2021 Live Simulation “Dispute Prevention: Great Idea…Now How Do We Do It?”