Q&A with John Miles, CEO of ADR On-Demand

Wed, Jul 5th, 2023 | by Miles Mediation and Arbitration | Thoughts from the Top | Social Share

Q: What is ADR On-Demand?

A: ADR On-Demand is a Miles-affiliated company that makes mediation convenient, cost-effective, and concise. In the early days, the neutrals at Miles Mediation & Arbitration (Miles) primarily mediated cases that lasted less than three hours and settled for under $100,000. As we grew and our neutrals developed their practices, the types of cases mediated at Miles evolved. Our top neutrals primarily mediate large and complex matters that settle for significantly more than $100,000 – and their mediation rates reflect this.

As Miles’ founder, I was loath to abandon the market that made us who we are today. That was the impetus for creating ADR On-Demand. This platform allows attorneys with cases that don’t require a full day of in-person mediation to avail themselves of a Miles mediator with a more affordable rate and a shorter timeframe. The idea is to serve the portion of the ADR market where the ability to get a mediation done quickly is more important than the luxury of being able to select your own mediator.

Q: What are the advantages of ADR On-Demand over traditional mediation?

A: First and foremost, it lets you get a mediation done quickly. Because all mediations are conducted virtually, it’s also more convenient for the parties than scheduling a traditional mediation, and the flat fee for each case helps ensure that costs are kept down.

All the mediators on the ADR On-Demand panel are on the Miles panel as well. In other words, they are “Miles-Approved” but simply haven’t yet developed full-time ADR practices. Their goal is to grow their businesses at Miles and are incentivized to work hard so attorneys will select them for their larger cases when mediating at Miles.

Also, ADR On-Demand will benefit our clients in the long run as it allows us to constantly develop the next generation of mediators, who will be equally skilled but younger and even more diverse than our current panel.

Q: You’ve recently expanded into other states (Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee). Tell me more about that, and why you decided to expand into those states.

A: Mediation is superior to traditional litigation, and this is the future. There will still be lawyers and courts, but more lawyers will be turning to mediation, and we want to be an option for them. Unlike the practice of law, you need not be licensed in a state to mediate, so we’re expanding ADR On-Demand to other states where Miles Mediation & Arbitration has offices. While Miles is positioned for higher end, more complex cases, ADR On-Demand is for the smaller, less complicated cases.

Q: What’s next for ADR On-Demand?

A: Once we have proof of concept, we can take the company across the country. We’re still working on some of that, but as long as we scale it properly, there’s no reason we can’t take it national. Both Miles and ADR On-Demand are growing rapidly, and the two companies will always run hand-in-hand and allow us to provide our clients with the highest caliber of mediators and the best possible experience.

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