
Mediation And Arbitration Services
San Diego Arbitrator and Mediator with Experience
Alternative Dispute Resolution You Can Trust
The Gould Firm’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) counsel can assist you as a party by representing you and your interests or by serving as a neutral for your dispute in a private setting. Attorney Evan A. Gould has represented hundreds of plaintiffs and defendants through mediation, arbitration, voluntary and mandatory settlement conferences. Mr. Gould also serves as a Mediator and Arbitrator privately, for the San Diego Superior Court, FINRA (formerly NASD) with a high degree of success.
Looking for Arbitration or Mediation Services in San Diego?
Attorney Evan A. Gould has more than 30 years of experience helping people find solutions to conflicts. As an experienced mediator and arbitrator, Evan A. Gould regularly works as a neutral third-party mediator or, as an arbitrator to help people resolve legal problems of various types. Mr. Gould has resolved disputes that include business issues, intellectual property, commercial disputes, financial fraud and related claims, employment matters, personal injury claims, real estate disputes and many more. Over the course of his career, Evan A. Gould has resolved more than 80 percent of the mediation cases he has served on. Where the parties prefer Mr. Gould is often called upon to serve as an Arbitrator and to serve as the fact-finder or private judge and preside over a process that helps the parties in a much more cost-effective forum than going to court.
What Are the Different Types of Alternative Dispute Resolution?
Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process (ADR) where two or more parties come together to work with the mediator to find a mutually beneficial solution to end the dispute. Arbitration provides for a more formal means to reach a resolution in a setting that is less adversarial and typically much quicker than a similar case would take to try in front of a judge or jury in a traditional courtroom setting. Both types of ADR take place outside of a courtroom.
ADR is so effective and economical that many businesses and insurance companies use it as a primary method for resolving disputes. Unlike courtroom litigation, which is handled in a court and where a judge or jury decides on the outcome, mediation allows parties to help shape the outcome of an agreement. This is because all parties are involved in creating the resolution to their dispute. Arbitration can help all parties to control costs and bring an expeditious end to their dispute.
If you are looking for an economical forum to resolve a dispute with another party, then mediation and arbitration are options you should consider.
Contact us today if you have questions about how ADR can work to resolve your situation.

Mediation and Arbitration Services:
Attorney Evan A. Gould offers mediation and arbitration services throughout Southern California. It takes a skilled neutral to help parties get beyond impasse and the emotion caused by the dispute and or the litigation process. For nearly three decades Attorney Evan A. Gould has assisted individuals, employees, business entities, attorneys, claims adjusters and other litigants to resolve their issues and help them reach acceptable settlements.
Mr. Gould takes pride in getting difficult cases resolved, big or small, and helping the parties involved obtain their goals. Mr. Gould is known for going above and beyond, even after the mediation is over, to offer any assistance he can to help the parties close a deal. As a result, Mr. Gould has an overall mediation success rate of well over 80%.
Mr. Gould has mediated hundreds of cases of various types including:
- ADA Access Claims
- Assault Claims
- Animal Injury Claims
- Battery Claims
- Boundary Disputes
- Business Disputes
- Contract Disputes
- Commission Claims
- Construction Disputes
- Discrimination Claims
- Domestic Disputes
- Dental Malpractice Claims
- Elder Abuse Claims
- Employment Disputes
- Family Disputes
- Financial Disputes
- Fiduciary Duty Claims
- Funeral Home Negligence
- Fraud Claims
- Harassment Claims
- Injury Claims
- Intellectual Property Disputes
- Investment Claims
- Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Medical Malpractice Claims
- Negligence Claims
- Overtime Claims
- Property Damage Claims
- Retaliation Claims
- Sexual Harassment Claims
- Tort Claims
- Tortious Interference Claims
- Unlawful Detainer
- Uninsured Motorist Claims
- Wage Claims
- Workplace Violence Claims
- Wrongful Termination Claims
- And many others over the course of nearly three decades.
How Does Mediation Work?
Mediation can resolve a number of issues, including personal injury and employment disputes. With mediation, two or more opposing parties work with a neutral third-party, the mediator to reach a settlement. If the parties made attempts to resolve the situation directly and think they may have no other option but litigation then mediation is the logical next step to consider. There are numerous advantages to using mediation rather than proceeding with or continuing litigation.
- Mediation is much less expensive than litigation. By using this option, you can avoid expensive attorney’s fees and lost income you might suffer by spending excessive amounts of time in court.
- Mediation is faster than litigation. In some cases, disputes may take years to resolve through litigation and the court process. This means disputing parties are left without a solution to their problems for months or even years In the case of appeals. Mediation may be an option before a lawsuit is filed and can typically be scheduled and completed within a couple of months.
- You have control over the outcome. Courtroom litigation offers no control over the outcome. Either side may win or lose so it is an all or nothing gamble. In fact, in many cases, neither side wins! With Mediation the parties control the outcome of the dispute. With litigation and court proceedings, a judge or jury will decide the final outcome. Mediation allows you to work with the other party and the Mediator to decide on an agreement. You also have the flexibility in Mediation to work out creative solutions.
- Mediation can help to preserve relationships. Mediation allows the parties the opportunity to preserve the professional or interpersonal relationship with the other side because you are both involved in the process of negotiation and working out the terms of a final agreement that, in the end, BOTH sides will agree to.
- Mediation works on your schedule. The parties will work with the mediator to set up hearings and contacts in a way that works with your personal and professional schedules.
- The process is Confidential. Mediation is a confidential and private process that stays out of the public eye. Mediation sessions and communications take place behind closed doors. The parties and the Mediator typically keep all of the case details of the dispute confidential, even after concluding the mediation process.
Mediation cannot help with all types of disputes. In cases where the disputing parties are hostile, dishonest or simply unwilling to work together, it is unlikely that mediation will be able to resolve their issues. This is because mediation requires cooperation and a willingness to trust others. Mediation cannot be forced, it must be agreed to mutually and entered into with the goal of resolving the claim.
How Does Arbitration Work?
Arbitration is another form of ADR, meaning it also takes place outside of a courtroom. With this option, disputing parties agree to allow an Arbitrator to review the evidence, hear arguments and make a final decision on the outcome of the dispute. It is not uncommon for arbitration to involve multiple arbitrators, one for each party and a third neutral arbitrator. Arbitrators act in a similar fashion to judges by reviewing the evidence and arguments from both sides and then making a final decision.
A key difference between mediation and arbitration is that a Mediator does render a ruling and may or may not result in a binding agreement. Decisions reached through arbitration, if they meet the requirements under California law, can be binding on the parties. The parties must abide by the terms of an arbitrated outcome because the decision, if binding, will become legally enforceable to the same extent as a judicial decision.
Arbitration has an advantage over traditional litigation. Like mediation, arbitration is a private matter. Arbitration typically provides for a more limited scope of discovery than disputes involving traditional litigation thus reducing attorney time and reducing costs. You and the disputing party may get to pick the individual who will arbitrate your dispute unlike in a court proceeding where you have little or no control as to who will control your case or decide it. Arbitration is also less time-consuming, and thus more expeditious than traditional litigation allowing parties to return to their regular job or routine much quicker.
Many employers in California require their employees to use arbitration to resolve disputes or simply prefer to use it wherever possible. Some employers require arbitration in their employment contracts. Arbitration is generally an attractive option for those seeking a faster and less expensive resolution to their problem. Arbitration can be used as a means to resolve almost any case that would otherwise be bound for the courts.
Our Experienced Attorney Helps with Alternative Dispute Resolution
If you need representation in an upcoming mediation or arbitration The Gould Firm may be able to assist. We can help you prepare your claim or defense, help plan your presentation, and help you understand the process and various Dos and Don’ts. In short, Mr. Gould is prepared to help you increase your chances of a successful outcome.
Call The Gould Firm today at (619) 941-0667 or by using our online case review form to discuss your specific situation and schedule your next mediation or arbitration.