North Carolina Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorneys
For seven decades, Manning Fulton’s litigators have guided clients through their most challenging disputes. That experience has taught us something many firms overlook: the best outcome is often the one reached before a dispute ever escalates into a courtroom. Our attorneys are familiar with the strategic opportunities presented by mediation and arbitration, and we know that thorough preparation is critical to making the most of those opportunities. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can be highly effective, less costly than litigation, and is often preferable to lengthy, public courtroom proceedings.
While we are fully prepared to take any matter to trial, we begin by asking a different question: how do we resolve this efficiently, protect the relationship, and keep our client’s business moving forward? That resolution-first mindset, paired with genuine trial readiness, is the foundation of our ADR practice.
What We Do
We don’t treat litigation as the default and settlement as a consolation prize. From the outset of any engagement, our litigators look for off-ramps such as negotiated resolutions, structured settlements, mediation, and arbitration, and counsel clients on when to press, when to settle, and how to position a matter so that resolution happens on favorable terms.
Heading Off Disputes Before They Start
Much of our most valuable work happens before a matter ever becomes contentious. Our pre-dispute services help clients identify and defuse risk early, including:
- Risk assessment and early case evaluation
- Contract and business-relationship counseling
- Demand-letter strategy and pre-suit negotiation
- Structured settlement and resolution planning
Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
When prevention isn’t possible, our ADR services pick up where pre-dispute counseling leaves off. Our services complement and are fully integrated with our litigation practice. We counsel and represent clients in:
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Negotiation and structured settlement
- Early case evaluation and other ADR mechanisms
A History of Leading ADR in North Carolina
Manning Fulton has been a leader in establishing ADR in North Carolina. The seeds of the state’s ADR revolution were first sown by one of our firm’s founding members, Charles Fulton. When Charlie served as President of the North Carolina Bar Association in 1983–1984, he headed a task force to examine various methods of ADR used throughout the country and to discuss their implementation in our state. A formal ADR program began in the early 1990s, and today ADR is flourishing in North Carolina in no small part because of the groundwork our firm helped lay.
Certified Mediators Who Understand Settlements
Several of our other litigators at Manning Fulton are certified as Superior Court mediators, each having successfully completed the extensive training required for certification by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. That credential is more than a line on a résumé, it changes the advice we give. Because these attorneys have been trained to sit in the neutral’s chair, they understand how mediators think, what moves a negotiation forward, and how settlements actually come together. They apply that insight to both court-ordered proceedings and other forms of ADR, helping clients evaluate when and how to resolve a dispute and what to expect at every stage of the process.
Who We Serve
We represent businesses, business owners, and individuals facing disputes that range from straightforward disagreements to complex, high-stakes litigation.
- Clients facing active disputes: Those who need representation in litigation, mediation, arbitration, or settlement negotiations.
- Clients Seeking Proactive Counsel: during contract negotiations, when disagreements first arise, or as part of a broader risk-management strategy aimed at preventing disputes before they occur or position themselves favorably if one becomes unavoidable.
Whatever stage a matter is in, our clients benefit from the same combination of skills: litigators who understand the courtroom, mediators who understand the negotiating table, and a firm that has spent seven decades helping North Carolina businesses resolve disputes on terms that serve their interests.
Partner with Manning Fulton
For 70 years, clients have trusted Manning Fulton to navigate their most difficult disputes, whether in the courtroom or the boardroom. We bring that same judgment to every ADR engagement: a clear-eyed focus on the result that serves your business best. If you are facing a dispute, or want to get ahead of one, contact our team for an early evaluation of your situation.
