James J. Mathie

Jim Mathie formed Mathie Mediation Services LLC after a nearly 30 year career representing a wide spectrum of clients in all kinds of civil litigation – from personal injury plaintiff cases to product liability defense to partnership disputes to commercial real estate disputes to disability insurance claims, environmental contamination and construction defect litigation. Over that time he represented clients in hundreds of mediations and jury trials.

His varied background means that Jim has often sat on both sides of most cases that he now mediates. He is acutely aware of the strengths, weaknesses, hopes and concerns of all mediating parties and their attorneys.

When beginning his mediation practice, Jim sought out mediation training programs expressing differing perspectives to inform his practice. He has attended the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center.

With his diverse background and training Jim has an unique ability to craft the mediation process to best fit the particular case before him. His flexibility offers parties the best opportunity to take advantage of everything that mediation has to offer.

Take advantage of everything that mediation has to offer.

Mediation offers advantages that you just can’t get in litigation. More important than anything else, you get to determine whether it makes sense to resolve your dispute and how to do it. That won’t happen in court. The judge or jury will decide and someone will win and someone will lose. Sometimes both sides lose – from a practical standpoint.

In mediation you have the opportunity to understand why you are in a dispute. And that knowledge can lead to creative, fulfilling resolutions where both sides actually win. The proverbial win–win result is not a myth. It really can happen with mediation.

But, to take advantage of everything that mediation has to offer, it’s critical to have the flexibility to approach mediation in the best possible way.

When you mediate with me, one of the first discussions will be about process – how the mediation will occur. That’s because one process does not best fit all mediations.

Some mediations call for splitting the parties up from the outset with the mediator literally going between the separate camps. In cases where there is no real relationship between the parties, this is relatively common. Some attorneys have never mediated a case other than entirely in caucus.

But the most promising format for some mediations is in joint session. Virtually any dispute that involves a valuable relationship – whether business or personal – should be considered for joint session.

In other circumstances, a combined joint session with strategic caucus sessions may be the best format. This can allow the parties to directly convey information that a mediator would have difficulty conveying, like the credibility or authenticity of a party to the opposing party who would need to experience that to truly accept it.

Mediation is a different animal than litigation. Where litigation focuses on the opposing camps fighting, mediation focuses on bringing the parties together to find a resolution. Sometimes it can be difficult to work together if the parties are never actually together.

Mediation offers the opportunity to explore the underpinnings of a dispute and find true resolution, not simply a settlement, as long as the parties take advantage of all that mediation has to offer.

Mathie mediation Services llc

Take Advantage of Everything that Mediation Has to Offer.

James J. Mathie – Mediation-Related Resume

Mediator of more than 400 civil matters 2016 – present.

Honors and Awards

2022 Best of Wisconsin Law Journal Silver Award Mediator.

Professional Association Leadership

State Bar of Wisconsin; Dispute Resolution Section Board; 2017 – present.

Milwaukee Bar Association; ADR Section, Chair; 2016 – present.

Mediation Training

Mediating the Litigated Case; Straus Center for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, (42 hours) August 2015.

Divorce and Family Mediation Training; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Liberal Arts and Applied Studies, (40 hours) October-November 2015.

Advanced Mediation Training; Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc., (8 hours) May 2015.

Mediation Training; Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc., (40 hours) June 2013.

Presentations on Mediation

Get Out of Your Silo: What We Can Learn from Mediation in Different Subject- Matters; CLE Presentation, State Bar Annual Meeting and Conference, June 16, 2022.

Ethical Traps in Alternative Dispute Resolution; CLE Presentation; Milwaukee Bar Association, December 8, 2021.

Mediation for Paralegals and Legal Assistants; Milwaukee Bar Association, April 14, 2021, October 13, 2021.

Get/Keep Your Practice Moving with Online Mediation; CLE Presentation, Milwaukee Bar Association, May 22, 2020.

Considerations and Tips for a Successful Mediation in Your Car Crash Case; Car Crash Symposium 2019, State Bar of Wisconsin CLE, January 18, 2019.

Take Advantage of Everything Mediation Has to Offer; CLE Presentation; Milwaukee Bar Association, Three-Part Series, October 12, 2016, January 11. 2017, March 8, 2017; Wisconsin Defense Counsel, Summer Conference, August 5, 2016.

Education

Juris Doctor 1986, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI, Thomas More Scholar.

Bachelor of Arts.-Journalism, 1981, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Prior Legal Practice

30 years as a civil litigator with diverse background as personal injury attorney, in-house counsel and insurance defense attorney handling litigation in construction, environmental, commercial, personal injury, bad faith, malpractice and real estate.

757 North Water Street

Suite 350

Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA

Phone: (414) 585-0650

Fax:     (855) 427-6640

Email: [email protected]

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