Mario B. Azzi

A graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now Western Michigan University Cooley Law School), Mario Azzi is a trained mediator and practicing civil law attorney. Having been primarily employed as a litigator throughout his legal career, he knows that settling a case often provides the best solution for his clients—particularly in landlord-tenant, family, and small business disputes, where the parties had often had a good relationship before the dispute arose.

Mario is a listed mediator on the court roster for Oakland County, a member of the Pro Bono Panel for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and frequently volunteers his time and experience as a volunteer attorney and mediator to disadvantaged residents of the metro Detroit area. He is available to mediate disputes throughout most of eastern and southern Michigan.

Mario practices facilitative mediation; a process that emphasizes the parties’ importance in determining a working solution to their problems through discussion, cooperation, and an understanding of the issues involved in the dispute. In his role as mediator, Mario assists the parties in taking a practical, solution-oriented approach, while identifying and addressing difficult obstacles to communication.

While facilitative mediation requires a substantial commitment of effort from everyone involved, the process can pay dividends by saving the parties the time, stress, and monetary expenses associated with litigation. Individuals generally feel more satisfied after reaching a resolution through mediation, since they are able to come to their own agreements and solutions without having a decision imposed upon them by an arbitrator or the court.

Mediation can also be instrumental in preserving ongoing relationships, especially when employed early in a dispute and before the parties have invested significant resources towards pursuing legal action. While mediation is not a process that will work for everyone, its significant potential benefits and relatively low costs make it an option worth exploring.