For litigants embroiled in complex commercial disputes, mediator Bill VanDeWeghe has an uncommon perspective.

“I tell the clients, ‘Look I litigated, but I was also a managing director at an investment banking firm, and I co-founded … a software as a service company, and I was the CEO of a lab equipment company,’” VanDeWeghe said. “I’ve served on a public board, and I’ve served on a private board. So, when I express an opinion, I have been on both sides of the table. I’ve been the attorney, and I’ve been the client.”

A 1990 William and Mary Law School graduate, VanDeWeghe worked for 15 years as a litigator, representing companies in commercial disputes as well as attorneys and accountants in professional liability cases.

“One of the areas I was very good at was quickly assessing the value of a case and how much it was going to cost and the strengths of various claims,” VanDeWeghe said of his time as a litigator. “And I was usually able to quickly determine a settlement range. As a result, I was able to resolve the vast majority of my cases.”

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