USA&M’s Integration into Miles: Q&A with Rob Litz

Mon, Aug 5th, 2024 | by Miles Mediation and Arbitration | Thoughts from the Top | Social Share

In this month’s Thoughts from the Top, we speak with mediator and arbitrator, Rob Litz, the president of USA&M in St. Louis, about what the company has achieved since it was acquired by Miles Mediation & Arbitration last November.

Q: How has the integration process been progressing over the past six months?

A: The integration process has been smooth and exceeded my expectations. We established 10 strategic pathways for USA&M’s integration into the Miles family, including governance, communications, HR, operations, IT, products and services, business development and marketing, communications, legal and compliance, and finally, customer integration. With the outstanding collaboration of the entire Miles leadership team, we have made great strides combining our two organizations. For example, Debbie Wilson has spearheaded USA&M staff inclusion into the Miles ADP compensation and benefits platform and most recently merged the USA&M 401(k) into the Miles ADP/Voya plan. Chris Camp and Alex Larsen have been instrumental in working with Gretchen Jenkins for the smooth merger of USA&M’s finance and accounting system into the Miles NetSuite program. Jonathan Reed and the operations team are currently coordinating NetSuite training for USA&M case administrators that is going well. We have entered all USA&M’s clients into NetSuite, providing a great foundation for the final transition in the next several months. Todd Drucker has worked diligently to include USA&M neutrals into Miles in a variety of ways.  The initial group of a dozen USA&M neutrals are now included on the Miles website, providing opportunities for Miles’ clients and the neutrals. Kimber Bond and Kelly James continue to be amazing partners marketing our neutrals and USA&M’s services. None of this important work to combine our organizations would have occurred without the outstanding leadership of Parag, Jake, and John Miles.

Q: Has USA&M achieved any key milestones since the acquisition? How do these accomplishments benefit our combined operations?

A: Mediation revenue for the first 6 months of 2024 is up 4.5%, including a substantial increase in Title IX income. The efficiencies will become more pronounced starting with the second half of 2024 and into 2025.  Several key USA&M neutrals are now members of Miles’ Employment, Construction, and Medical Malpractice Practice Area Groups. This is an example of joining our neutrals with substantive practice experience in those key areas to share best practices. And several of the USA&M neutrals have either authored or were quoted in external legal publications. Thank you, Kelly James, for your support!

Q: What feedback have you received from clients, employees, and mediators/arbitrators about the acquisition?

A: Our clients appreciate the deeper “bench” now available with the Miles neutral panel.  Just last week, one of our loyal clients called to set up a mediation with a mediator who is fluent in Spanish. Liz Jow responded quickly to the request with six bilingual neutrals on the Miles panel, which we passed along to the client. Tammy Doolin, Kelly Spiller, Jennifer Hamilton, and Gretchen Jenkins continue to appreciate all the support provided by the Miles team in operations and finance. All of them have commented on how warm, welcoming, and helpful everyone at Miles has been. The USA&M neutrals are grateful for the outstanding support they have received from Parag and Todd to increase their business and effectiveness. Parag’s negotiation webinar was very well-received by the USA&M neutrals, and they also enjoy the monthly meetings with the Miles team and neutrals.

Q: Can you highlight any collaborative efforts that have resulted because of the acquisition?

A: The collaboration between our neutrals and Kelly James in creating timely content has increased the exposure of those neutrals, USA&M, and Miles. Tangela Richmond has been terrific to work with, identifying CLE speaking opportunities which further our marketing efforts. Todd Drucker had been an outstanding partner in our neutral development and strategically adding key neutrals to our panel.

Q: Looking ahead, what are your main priorities and goals for USA&M for the next six months, and beyond?

A: Transition from USA&M’s Needles Case Management System to NetSuite. We look forward to functionality that will provide the staff, clients and neutrals with an outstanding experience, while adding to our efficiency. Most importantly, our goal is to continue providing the outstanding service our clients have experienced for the past 39 years and to find ways to enhance customer engagement. I am also excited to share our educational opportunities such as arbitrator training for members of the panels who are primarily mediators. This is a very exciting time, and the St. Louis team of employees and neutrals look forward a bright future.

ABOUT MILES MEDIATION & ARBITRATION

Miles Mediation & Arbitration is shaping the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) industry with our comprehensive professional services model that combines the expertise of our highly skilled, diverse panel of neutrals with an unparalleled level of client support to guide and empower parties to fair, timely, and cost-effective resolution regardless of case size, specialization, or complexity. For more information, please call 888-305-3553 or email support@milesadr.com.