From Complex Commercial Litigation to Conflict Resolution: A Spotlight Q&A With Adam Myron

Adam Myron, Esq., reflects on the experiences that led him to ADR, the practice areas he enjoys most and why listening remains one of the most powerful tools a neutral can bring to the table.

1. How would you describe your ADR style?

My approach is practical, engaged and focused on helping parties find solutions to problems that may initially appear intractable. Among a mediator’s most important roles is helping parties truly listen to one another—not simply to formulate a response, but to understand the other side's perspective. When parties gain that understanding, they often uncover opportunities for resolution that were previously overlooked. Whether I’m serving as a mediator or arbitrator, my aim is to create a process in which parties feel heard, respected and fully informed as they evaluate their options. 

2. What practice areas are you particularly interested in at JAMS?

I’ve been exposed to a broad range of civil disputes in my career. At JAMS, I have a broad ADR practice. Business and commercial, employment, professional liability, estate and trust, real property and construction matters are where I thrive. I have handled and mediated disputes involving business breakups, fiduciary claims, restrictive covenant issues, professional malpractice allegations, trust and estate conflicts, claims for personal injury, construction defects and real estate controversies. I enjoy the complex legal and interpersonal dynamics involved with these kinds of matters.

3. What traits have contributed to your success as a mediator/arbitrator?

My years as both a trial lawyer and a neutral have taught me that successful resolutions often come from listening carefully to understand the other side’s perspective, not simply to respond adversarially to what they’re saying. That willingness to listen fosters empathy and helps the parties see how the dispute developed and each side’s perspective. I also focus on identifying creative solutions and helping parties recognize opportunities that may not be obvious at first. And naturally, my litigation experience allows me to provide realistic perspectives on risk, cost and likely outcomes while maintaining neutrality throughout the process.

4. What are some of the highlights of your career to date, whether in ADR or litigation?

By far, my biggest career highlight involved aiding Holocaust survivors pro bono in applying to the German government for forced labor reparations. That was before I became an ADR professional, and looking back on it now, I can see how that work—aimed at providing a small measure of repair between a government and its former citizens—influenced my decision to become a conflict resolution professional. Since that time, the most rewarding aspect of my career has been helping clients and parties resolve complex disputes efficiently and constructively. Prior to becoming a mediator, that work was as counsel to individuals and corporate clients in multimillion-dollar business and commercial disputes, such as restrictive covenant cases, complex malpractice disputes and other “business torts.” In 2017, I became a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator so that I could approach conflict resolution from the perspective of a neutral and thereby help everyone.

5. Is there a story or lesson that has shaped the way you approach mediation?

There’s a parable I once heard that I often keep in mind as a mediator.

A king had three children. When he died, he left half of his camels to his oldest child, one-third to his middle child and one-ninth to his youngest child. The problem was that he had only 17 camels, which could not be divided evenly by two, three or nine.

Unable to resolve the issue, the children sought advice from a village elder. After considering the problem, the elder offered them one of his own camels, bringing the total to 18. With 18 camels, the oldest child received nine, the middle child received six and the youngest received two. Together, that added up to 17, so the children returned the extra camel to the elder.

The story resonates with me because mediation often requires looking beyond the positions the parties bring into the room. A mediator may not be able to change the underlying facts, but they can help the parties see the problem differently, identify options they had not considered and find a practical path through an issue that once seemed impossible to resolve.