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Attorneys Zeytoonian and Faxon Discuss Benefits of Collaborative Law for Small Businesses and Non-Profits at SCORE Boston Meeting
Michael Zeytoonian, director of the Zeytoonian Center for Dispute Resolution, LLC and Paul Faxon, President of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, recently gave a presentation on Collaborative Law applications for small businesses and non-profit organizations to a group of dedicated volunteer executives at the June 2009 meeting of SCORE Boston, Counselors to America's Small Businesses.
Collaborative Law offers a non-adversarial settlement process designed to avoid litigation while still providing legal representation and counsel. Employing four-way collaborative meetings with clients and their respective lawyers, Collaborative Law focuses on satisfying the interests of the parties through structured negotiation. It is a pragmatic integration of the advocacy, legal analysis and representation of litigation and the creative problem-solving, efficiency and negotiation of the business mindset. In addition, it is time and cost efficient, making it well-suited for closely-held or family businesses and non-profit organizations that wish to avoid the drain on the business or organization's human resources that is part of the collateral damage resulting from litigation.
Zeytoonian and Faxon provided a wealth of valuable information on this growing alternative form of dispute resolution and its usefulness in resolving business disputes. The lawyers drew from their experiences in a recent Collaborative Law business break-up case to illustrate the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the approach.
SCORE members at the meeting immediately recognized the value of the collaborative dispute resolution process for their constituents:
"My colleagues and I were very impressed and educated," said Seymour Salett, Chapter Chairman, SCORE Boston. "The major part of our subsequent conversation was about collaborative law. We've all been through the rigors of litigation and are appreciative of the opportunity to resolve issues amicably."
Zeytoonian focused directly on how the collaborative process works in resolving business and employment disputes and discussed its advantages for small businesses and non-profit organizations. "When preserving business relationships is important, when cost-efficiency and time efficiency matter, Collaborative Law is the preferred means of resolving a dispute," said Zeytoonian.
Faxon, who is an attorney Of Counsel to the Archstone Law Group and The New Law Center, LLC, pointed out that Collaborative Practice is particularly appealing for young entrepreneurs, because they typically want to control their business and how it develops. "Collaborative Law stresses the concept of the ‘sovereignty of the client'," Faxon noted, "by which the clients control both the process used to resolve the dispute and decision-making on how to resolve it. This feature resonates with their entrepreneurial spirit and attitude."
R. Paul Faxon, Esq. of The New Law Center in Cambridge, Mass. concentrates his practice in the areas of business and real estate transactions and Collaborative Law. He can be reached at pfaxon@thenewlawcenter.com.
Michael Zeytoonian, Esq. of The Zeytoonian Center for Dispute Resolution in Wellesley Hills and Westborough, Mass. concentrates his practice in the areas of employment and business law, preventive law, ombudsman services, mediation and Collaborative Law. He can be reached at mzeytoonian@zeytooniancenter.com.
About the Zeytoonian Center for Dispute Resolution, LLC
The Zeytoonian Center for Dispute Resolution provides legal and dispute resolution services that are preventive, proactive, efficient and collaborative. Our early intervention services work proactively to help clients anticipate problems that arise in organizations and put policies, procedures and training programs in place to engage, manage and diffuse problems and prevent them from escalating into disputes or claims. Utilizing the talents of lawyers, mediators, expert consultants and coaches, our dispute resolution services are designed to efficiently offer the kind of advocacy that protects clients' rights, educates them on the best approach to their dispute, and helps them achieve a resolution that satisfies their interests. The Center has offices in Wellesley Hills and Westborough, Mass.
For more information, please visit www.zeytooniancenter.com or contact the Zeytoonian Center at (781) 489-2270.
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