Alternative Dispute and Mediation Services

YOUR TRUSTED LAWYERS

The cost and time required to litigate a matter to full conclusion is becoming more and more burdensome for many consumers and unacceptable to many corporate departments even if they can afford the escalating costs. Since more than 90 percent of commercial, corporate, and personal injury disputes resolve or settle without a trial, the question is not whether to employ a mediator but how soon in the process to do so.

As President Lincoln advised in 1850:

"Discourage litigation.  Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.  Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser -- in fees, and expenses and waste of time."

So, what is mediation, and how is it used?  As described by Chief Judge Gary Sharpe in General Order #47 of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, mediation is a “flexible, non-binding, confidential process in which a qualified Neutral, the Mediator, facilitates resolution of the issues between the parties and assists with settlement discussions.”

Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) thus require artful discourse to allow the parties to improve communication, understand the position of the adverse party, probe the strengths of all sides, and to finally accelerate the resolution process by out of the box creative solutions that the frustration over litigation or the heat of battle prevent both the parties and their attorneys from considering.

Mediation can run the range of simply allowing the parties to directly talk to each other and create their own solution to having the mediator provide his/her evaluative experiences to gently or not so gently guide the parties to a solution.

At Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C., our mediation services are offered by our two seasoned litigator/mediators who have experience on both the plaintiff’s and defendant’s tables. These attorney/mediators use their collective 60 years of experience to accelerate the resolution process, which saves time, money, and emotional resources which are better spent on the future rather than anguishing about the past.

Salvatore D. Ferlazzo began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Bernard Meyer of the State’s Highest Court, the Court of Appeals, after finishing first in his law school class at Western New England School of Law in 1981. He has used his litigation skills to try numerous cases to conclusion and has also used mediation skills to resolve cases as a party to mediation as well as during the private mediation process inherent in reviewing and resolving thousands of cases over his 30 years.

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Mr. Ferlazzo has been retained as a mediator by attorneys in large and small legal practices and has served as an Early Trial Neutral for the Federal Court system since 2005. He has successfully mediated commercial disputes on sophisticated issues, employment matters, personal injury suits, and civil rights disputes.

Recently, Mr. Ferlazzo was invited by Chief Judge Sharpe to become a member of the Paid Mediator Panel for the Northern District Court of the United States District Court. He received extensive training with the rest of the panel members in the art and practice of mediation. His is also a member of the New York State Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution.

Jay E. Girvin concentrates his practice in the areas of Education Law, Private and Public Sector Labor and Employment Law, and Litigation. He is experienced in collective bargaining, mediation, fact finding, arbitration, improper practice and unfair labor practice proceedings, and state and federal court proceedings.  Mr. Girvin has been involved in more than 100 mediation sessions over the course of his career.  Like Mr. Ferlazzo, Mr. Girvin uses his mediation skills to bring the matter to a successful conclusion in a timely manner.

He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, Northern District, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, U.S. Court of Military Appeals, and in New York and Massachusetts.

A graduate of Siena College and Albany Law School of Union University, Mr. Girvin started his legal career as a Captain in the U.S. Army where he served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps as trial defense counsel and appellate defense counsel. During his service to the Army, Mr. Girvin tried more than 50 cases and served as appellate counsel on more than 100 matters. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

Gerard E. Maney, prior to joining Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C. as “of Counsel”, spent 28 years serving as an Acting Supreme and Surrogates Court Justice and Acting Family Court Judge in the Third Judicial District; and as a New York State Family Court Judge in Albany County. In that capacity, he was the Supervising Judge for the Family Courts in the Third Judicial District from 2002-2016.

Judge Maney concentrates his practice in alternative dispute resolution services including mediation and arbitration. Judge Maney has utilized the unique experiences and deep legal knowledge he gained during his time on the bench to develop his highly effective negotiating and settlement skills and techniques.

Prior to his election to the bench, Judge Maney was associated with the law firm of Scheiberling, Rogan and Maney and was Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Albany, New York. Judge Maney is a 1976 graduate of the Delaware Law School of Widener University, and is a 1971 graduate of Siena College.

He is a member of and past preside to the Albany County Bar Association and a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Judge Maney was awarded the Bridge Builders Award from Mediation Matters in 2006. The award is presented to an individual who builds bridges to foster collaboration and strengthen communities. He is also the recipient of the Ambassadors Award from the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Equal Justice for All Award from the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York.

For more information on our Alternative Dispute and Mediation Practice, you can contact our office at 518-462-0300, or you can submit the form below with the information requested and provide a time you would like the law firm to contact you.

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TESTIMONIALS

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Daniel S. L. Rubin is a go to guy and his experience is a plus. He always guided me in right direction to get out of my litigation quickly. He works at his best and charges minimal also answers all our calls irrespective of timings. AND thank you very much Daniel for helping me..I wish you a GREAT success.

My experience with Girvin & Ferlazzo has been extremely positive. The firm's attorneys and paralegals are knowledgeable and determined to help, and they're considerate of the amount of time they have to spend to get the results.

My experiences working with the Girvin and Ferlazzo Law Firm has been outstanding. Their attorneys are responsive and tactful. Their knowledge, professionalism and resourcefulness are trumped only by their good character and cheerfulness. Having this law firms expertise at my fingertips enables me to face the myriad of challenges of running a public school district with confidence.

Each time I contact our attorneys, their response is very timely and handled thoroughly and very professionally. Not only that, it is so refreshing that they take time to know us personally and really have a feel for our individual schools. Each attorney I have dealt with has been invaluable and I look forward to many years of working with them.

Daniel Rubin is my guy. He was compassionate and was comfortable advising the fastest, least expensive legal solution. Even while he was on vacation, he stayed in touch with me and helped me to quickly resolve a problem where someone falsely tried to harm my business. It was still sad that I had to pay to get someone to be honest - so, I lost, but ultimately I was greatly helped by their services. The "law" can be expensive, but matters were resolved. THANK you Mr. Rubin.

Excellent firm with extensive experience and knowledge. Our business has worked with Sal Ferlazzo and his associates for the last few years and they've always delivered on time and above expectations. No project is too big or small and they always provide a personal touch. Truly a one-stop shop for all legal needs; highly recommended.

I have worked with the firm while employed at two different school Districts. The service I have received has always been "top notch". Kris always responds to my questions and concerns quickly and provides valuable guidance and insight. I highly recommend Girvin and Ferlazzo to anyone working in a school District.

I was completely blown away by the full service I was given by Daniel Rubin, Sal Ferlazzo and the support staff of this firm! They were by my side from start to finish and able to answer all my questions along the way. Daniel and Sal were very knowledgeable and professional during all our interactions and were prompt in responding to my calls and emails. They made me feel like I was their only client, and gave me their full attention during our meetings, when I know they had their plate full with other cases. I was extremely impressed with their attention to detail and diligence in fully reviewing my case. I never would have imagined I would have gotten the award I received from my personal injury case, when it was all said and done, they continued to follow up with me to make sure I had no further questions or concerns. Lawsuits are never easy, but this team gave me the confidence to see it through with a phenomenal outcome. Thank you Girvin & Ferlazzo for a job well done!

Each and every employee of the firm, from the partners, to the associates, to the legal assistants, to clerical help is attentive and value their clients! In particular, Jay Girvin (Partner) & Erin Morris (Associate) go above and beyond with a high level of legal advice as well as immediate attention on any matter!

The educational legal team is second to none! The guidance and support provided by each team member is consistently on-point and accurate. In my over two-decades in public education, I have not come across a more professional firm! I would be proud to recommend Girvin & Falazzo to any educational organization!

I have worked with several of the attorneys at Girvin & Ferlazzo. They are always timely and responsive in their advice and guidance. I feel supported in my decision making when working with them.

Girvin & Ferlazzo has always served me well for over 20 years. My go to person is Kristine LanChantin, and I have also had significant work experience with Patrick Fitzgerald and Tara Moffett. They are absolutely the best! The level of expertise, personal care, and timely follow through is so appreciated. Having a reliable law firm at my disposal is like having good insurance, you don't like to use it, but boy you sure are glad to have it!

The Girvin and Ferlazzo law firm has consistently served our organization in a professional and competent manner. Through the years, the firm has successfully guided our team through a number of routine, and complex issues. The firm's attorneys are well versed in their practice areas. Both the number of attorneys and when needed, specialization in certain areas of practice have helped us navigate our legal challenges. I am pleased to report that their customer service culture is strong and their billing practices are quite reasonable.

1. Quickest response time among all the lawyers I have worked with, 90% of the time response come back right away,

2. The reason of having such a fast response is having a seamless team work, Daniel and Bonnie together never let the ball drop, either he or she always make sure one of them respond right back to me,

3. Such a seamless teamwork made the case proceed in a smooth and efficient way,

4. Under the guidance of Patrick, Bonnie started a strong and convincing suit right out of the gate, Daniel made a touch down with a settlement one sided in our favor within two weeks that Bonnie initiated the suit,

5. So the whole process is not a tug of war, it was like we started the game with a quarterback throwing the ball to the receiver, then a touch down by this receiver, then the whole game is over, win.

6. My case was very strong, I did not mean they are magicians, however Bonnie and Daniel tried their best to give me magic.

Effective. Efficient. Responsive.

Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C. is a full service general practice law firm that has been serving clients throughout New York State for 25 years. Established in 1991, the firm concentrates its practice in a variety of legal issues. Do you need education or employment lawyers? Our law firm practices within Education, Public and Private Sector Labor and Employment, Litigation law, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Real Estate, Corporate/Business Law, and Collections. Girvin & Ferlazzo’s attorneys are dedicated to the highest standards of legal research, writing, and advocacy. Our lawyers are known for working hard for our clients to attain the best possible result. These values have made us an attractive legal option for clients seeking counsel on small individual matters, municipal issues, or large corporate issues.

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