James K. Sadigh

James K. Sadigh is a Los Angeles Mediator and Arbitrator with over 20 years of experience in the art of creative solutions. In 1996, James had joined the volunteer panel of Mediators and Arbitrators for the Los Angeles Superior Court; and by 2001, had been selected as a paid Mediator and Arbitrator for the Court. Since then, James has established his own private mediation services, and has facilitated settlements and resolutions in nearly 1,000 cases. James’ 30 years of expertise as an attorney has given him a trusted and in-depth ability to evaluate each parties’ unique concerns, cultural values,  and traditions to bring parties to a mutually agreeable solution.

James graduated with a BA in International Relations from United States International University (now Alliant International University) in 1982.

He received his law degree from the University of LaVerne in 1989.

As a law student, he worked as an investigator and paralegal for a personal injury law firm.

From 1989-1992 he was an Associate Partner at the law firm of Joseph Ryan in Century City.

In 1992 he established his own practice in Century City, specializing in personal injury, business litigation and wrongful termination, which he ran until 1998.

From 1998-2010 James was half of the partnership of Moghaddami & Sadigh in Los Angeles and Glendale. They specialized in personal injury, personal injury insurance defense, wrongful termination, labor disputes and business litigation.

In 2010 James decided that he wanted to devote more personal attention to his clients, so he formed a new private practice, specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful termination, and business litigation.

James Sadigh is licensed to practice law in every court in California, is a member of the U.S. Tax Court, and is licensed to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

James has served as an attorney for the plaintiff as well as for the defense and has also served as a Judge Pro Tem. James Sadigh’s diverse legal experience in many communities of L.A. County lends him the ability to assist litigants in crafting creative solutions.

Mediation is a dynamic, structured, interactive process where a neutral third party assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are encouraged to actively participate in the process. Mediation is a "party-centered" process in that it is focused primarily upon the needs, rights, and interests of the parties. The mediator uses a wide variety of techniques to guide the process in a constructive direction and to help the parties find their optimal solution. A mediator is facilitative in that s/he manages the interaction between parties and facilitates open communication. Mediation is also evaluative in that the mediator analyzes issues and relevant norms ("reality-testing), while refraining from providing prescriptive advice to the parties (e.g., "You should do... .").

Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties with concrete effects. Typically, a third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate a settlement. Disputants may mediate disputes in a variety of domains, such as commercial, legal, diplomatic, workplace, community and family matters.

The term "mediation" broadly refers to any instance in which a third party helps others reach agreement. More specifically, mediation has a structure, timetable and dynamics that "ordinary" negotiation lacks. The process is private and confidential, possibly enforced by law. Participation is typically voluntary. The mediator acts as a neutral third party and facilitates rather than directs the process. Mediation is becoming a more peaceful and internationally accepted solution in order to end conflict. Mediation can be used to resolve disputes of any magnitude.

Mediators use various techniques to open, or improve, dialogue and empathy between disputants, aiming to help the parties reach an agreement. Much depends on the mediator's skill and training. As the practice gained popularity, training programs, certifications and licensing followed, producing trained, professional mediators committed to the discipline.

The benefits of mediationinclude:

Cost 

While a mediator may charge a fee comparable to that of an attorney, the mediation process generally takes much less time than moving a case through standard legal channels. While a case in the hands of a lawyer or a court may take months or years to resolve, mediation usually achieves a resolution in a matter of hours. Taking less time means expending less money on hourly fees and costs.

Confidentiality 

While court hearings are public, mediation remains strictly confidential. No one but the parties to the dispute and the mediator or mediators know what happened. Confidentiality in mediation has such importance that in most cases the legal system cannot force a mediator to testify in court as to the content or progress of mediation. Many mediators destroy their notes taken during a mediation once that mediation has finished. The only exceptions to such strict confidentiality usually involve child abuse or actual or threatened criminal acts.

Control 

Mediation increases the control the parties have over the resolution. In a court case, the parties obtain a resolution, but control resides with the judge or jury. Often, a judge or jury cannot legally provide solutions that emerge in mediation. Thus, mediation is more likely to produce a result that is mutually agreeable for the parties.

Compliance 

Because the result is attained by the parties working together and is mutually agreeable, compliance with the mediated agreement is usually high. This further reduces costs, because the parties do not have to employ an attorney to force compliance with the agreement. The mediated agreement is, however, fully enforceable in a court of law.

Mutuality 

Parties to a mediation are typically ready to work mutually toward a resolution. In most circumstances the mere fact that parties are willing to mediate means that they are ready to "move" their position. The parties thus are more amenable to understanding the other party's side and work on underlying issues to the dispute. This has the added benefit of often preserving the relationship the parties had before the dispute.

Support 

Mediators are trained in working with difficult situations. The mediator acts as a neutral facilitator and guides the parties through the process. The mediator helps the parties think "outside of the box" for possible solutions to the dispute, broadening the range of possible solutions