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Mediation: Broader Experience, Better Resolutions

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Contributed by: James Ragsdale on 10/28/2009

Mediation is an increasingly important component of the legal process here on the Treasure Coast as well as the rest of the nation. Legal professionals in the area have recognized a need for mediators with broader experience and knowledge to provide creative resolutions for complex disputes. Ed Sikorski is now applying over 40 years of uniquely diversified legal experience to meet that need.

Edmund J. Sikorski, Jr., J.D. is a Florida Supreme Court certified circuit civil mediator whose Palm City practice, Treasure Coast Mediation Services, is primarily devoted to mediations in Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Marin counties. He explains that many years of protecting his clients from the hardships of litigation led him to mediation.

"After a four-decade career in the practice of law, I saw that the least desirable form of resolution conflict was in the courthouse," Sikorski said. "You become subject to third party decisions that you don't get to participate in and may not be able to tell your entire story."

Speaking about the role mediation plays today, he is emphatic about the importance of dispute resolution as a way for people to get through the stress and difficulties that often come with legal conflict.

"Litigation tends to consume the litigants for years. Once commenced, it literally takes on a life on its own and can last for years, keeping your focus on some event, time in the past or conflict that you can't let go of, or won't let go of you. So, what's the alternative to this preoccupation with conflict? The answer is resolution, where the people participate in a meaningful way."

Sikorski's colleagues were instrumental in his decision to focus on mediations. He was often told that his expansive, inter-disciplinary experience in multiple areas of civil dispute was precisely the kind of working knowledge that is essential to making a real contribution to the mediation process.

"There was a consensus of opinion among them that I would bring creative and imaginative assistance to people in matters that are not often encountered in daily legal practice."

From its beginning, his career has been defined by diversity. Many of his early cases were in the areas of trust litigation, probate administration and medical malpractice defense. In the 1970's, he made frequent trips to Oklahoma and Texas representing clients in the natural resource industry (oil, gas and mineral) before various state regulatory agencies. He also represented clients before the SEC in a wide range of finance and business development matters.

A number of athletic organizations emerged as clients in the 80's and Sikorski began a large body of work on civil rights litigation. He tried many cases in the area of athletic administration, culminating in multiple appearances before the Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. At one point, he was simultaneously managing 25 cases involving the assertion of civil rights. The advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the gender equality issues arising from Title IX spawned more than a decade of appearances before the Federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

After the recessions of the early 80's and 90's and the onset of the technology revolution, business development activity and significant real estate development surged. Venture capital firms and insurance wholesalers sought Sikorski out for his rare proficiency with finance and insurance (and his real estate and securities licenses). He worked on the formation of mergers and acquisitions, insurance, annuities, securities and an array of other complex financial transactions.

This year, he relocated to the Treasure Coast from his native Michigan to be close to family members in the area and to make a difference as a member of what he feels is a unique and vibrant community.

"This is a community where tranquility and relationships are still valued. I feel that people here want resolution, not urban warfare."

He added that the area's growth provides an opportunity for him to help. "Areas that want to grow can't get bogged down in protracted disputes because they stymie growth and development. As communities grow, their disputes can become more complex, and that's where I know I can bring assistance to the community."

There is another reason why Sikorski is especially suited to performing mediations in this part of Florida: his familiarity with all things marine. He is also a Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine and a past officer of organizations such as the U.S. Power Squadron and the Clinton River Boat Club.

"There's an abundance of potential issues that surround the marine industry, and as a result, there may be a particular local interest in the unique credentials I can bring to dispute resolution in this area."

When asked to characterize the individuals who will be seeking his services, he said that they are "people who are serious about wanting conflict resolution and who will make the appropriate compromises to bring early and meaningful resolution to areas of civil disputes."

Sikorski has launched a web site at http://www.treasurecoastmediation.com
where visitors can review his credentials and contact him to schedule a mediation. Mediations can be scheduled at the participant's location or at a controlled meeting facility in Stuart, Florida. He is available to mediate cases in a 60-mile radius from his Palm City location, which includes Stuart, Jensen Beach, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach. More information can be requested by calling 772.287.6432 or cell 772.678.2821. You can also reach him by email at ed@treasurecoastmediation.com.

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