ST. LOUIS - Mary Ann Wymore, an attorney with the St. Louis-based firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale PC, has joined the mediation panel of the U.S. Arbitration & Mediation, a leading provider of legal mediation and arbitration services.
“I’ve enjoyed being a litigation attorney, but there are some disputes that should and could be settled by a third-party who can help them get there,” Wymore said.
USA&M is a client-based alternative dispute resolution organization that provides neutral third-party negotiators to seek resolution of lawsuits that have reached an impasse---some of them long, drawn-out cases.
Mediators for the group act as independent contractors and are hired from law firms located on both sides of the Mississippi River. Their purpose is to act as independent parties help parties settle lawsuits through negotiations and arbitration. Judges are also hired to adjudicate decisions in cases.
“I’ve already started with the USA&M,” Wymore said. “The objective is to get two or more parties in a lawsuit to compromise and reach a settlement that all can live with. The type of cases I will be involved with can be just about everything and anything, except family disputes.”
Wymore who has practiced law for 30 years has particular expertise in cases involving intellectual properties, patent lawsuits, copyright infringement, advertising and media disputes. She has also been involved in class action suits.
She grew up in the New York area and attended undergraduate school in Lehigh University at Bethlehem, Pa. She then attended the Southern Methodist University (Dedman) School of Law in Dallas.
Wymore said it's valuable to have a third party negotiator help settle deadlocked lawsuits because the negotiator is neutral in the case.
“A third party can get the case to a resolution in a way a plaintiff’s attorney cannot,” she said. “The plaintiff views their own attorney as their own personal advocate.”
Wymore indicated she is looking forward to help settle log-jammed cases.
“It is a challenge I’m looking forward to,” she said.