Robert W. Berliner, Jr., is a practicing mediator, arbitrator and an accomplished attorney. Of the cases he has mediated, about 95% have resulted in settlement. He also acts as an arbitrator through the American Arbitration Association, FINRA (securities industry), Cook County and privately.
As an attorney, he has represented businesses of all types and sizes, including manufacturers, distribution companies, real estate developers and investors, contractors, financial institutions, and retailers. Robert has been a senior officer and general counsel of Jupiter Industries, Inc., a family-owned conglomerate with over $1 billion in revenues, and a partner and general counsel of Jupiter Realty Corporation, a real estate company with interests in office buildings, shopping centers, apartment buildings and hotels all over the country.
Robert frequently makes presentations to attorneys and other groups on mediation and other alternative dispute resolution topics, and is highly sought-after as a consultant and expert witness on real estate matters.
Through mediation, with the help of an impartial neutral, the parties reach a mutually satisfactory settlement of their dispute. The mediator’s job is to facilitate communication and assist the parties in exploring alternative ways of settling the conflict that meets their needs and satisfies their interests. Although the process can vary depending on the situation and the relationship of the parties, typically the mediator will meet with the parties and their counsel together, each separately in order to promote negotiations and attainment of a satisfactory settlement.
Mediation offers both parties a number of significant benefits.
- Choice: Mediation is an entirely voluntary process
- Control: In mediation, the parties can control the outcome
- Certainty: Disputants are not faced with the uncertain outcome of litigation or arbitration.
- Creative Alternatives: Mediator works with both parties to consider alternatives and find creative solutions that resolve a dispute. In contrast, judges, juries and arbitrators make decisions based on the facts presented to them, the law, and the remedies that the law makes available.
Education
- Harvard Law School, JD magna cum laude, Law, 1974
- Harvard College, AB magna cum laude, Government, 1967
Mediation Training
- DePaul University College of Law, Center for Dispute Resolution, Certificate Completion in Mediation, 40-hour in Basic Mediation
- Association of Attorney-Mediators, Advanced Mediation Training, “Avoiding the Line in the Sand,” San Antonio, Texas
- Association of Attorney-Mediators, “Portmanteau: Creating New Approaches to Mediation”, St. Louis, March 2010
Memberships & Affiliations
- Executive Committee Member and Charter Member, Illinois Chapter of National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
- Illinois Super Lawyer (Alternative Dispute Resolution) 2013-2020
- Founding Member, President of the Illinois Chapter of the Association of Attorney-Mediators
- Court-certified Mediator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, in the Chancery Division’s Mediation Program and Law Division’s Court-Annexed Major Case Civil Mediation Program
- Court-certified mediator for Civil Division, Circuit Court of the 12th Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois
- Formerly Adjunct Professor at the Stuart Graduate School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology (Real Estate Investment)
- Formerly Lecturer and panelist at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (Legal Issues in Real Estate)
- Member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association
Areas of Focus
- Commercial/Business
- Condominiums
- Construction
- Contract Disputes
- Family Businesses
- Landlord/Tenant
- Legal Malpractice
- Partnerships
- Professional Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Professional Negligence
- Real Estate
- Shareholder Disputes