Mediator Resume

Over 40 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer handling employment and business litigation and providing employment advice. Over 20 years of experience serving as an arbitrator and mediator, primarily of employment discrimination claims based on sex, age, race, sexual harassment, religion, national origin, sexual orientation and claims of retaliation. Extensive experience arbitrating and mediating wage and hour, non-compete, non-solicit, and trade secret claims, including mediation of class action wage and hour claims.

Seigfreid Bingham, PC – Senior Counsel

Attorney

Shareholder, Seigfreid Bingham PC, 2015 – 2022; Partner, Armstrong Teasdale, 1990 – 2015; Partner/Associate, Dietrich Davis Dicus Rowlands & Schmitt, 1976 – 1988.

Over 40 years' experience as a civil trial attorney including experience representing parties in arbitrations and mediations and over 20 years of experience serving as an arbitrator and mediator, primarily of employment disputes. Practice in labor and employment area including extensive experience advising clients regarding and litigating cases involving claims of sexual harassment and age, race, disability, sex, and national origin discrimination, wage and hour including class action cases, as well as ERISA cases. Remainder of practice is in other civil litigation including, but not limited to, breach of contract, breach of non-compete and non-solicit covenants, violation of Uniform Trade Secrets Act, tortious interference with contract, fraud, termination of distributors, products liability, construction, negligence, personal injury, and wrongful death claims. Served as Chairman of Labor & Employment Comm. of Greater Kansas City Metro Bar Association and Chairman of Federal Courts Comm. of Greater Kansas City Metro Bar Association.

Over 100 employment mediations, most involved claims of discrimination but some involved contract claims, wage and hour claims, including class action claims, wrongful discharge, and whistleblower claims. Amounts claimed range from a few thousand to more than $9 million.

Experienced with the following: discrimination (sex, race, age, religious), sexual harassment, retaliation, fraud, wage and hour lawsuits, including, class actions, ERISA claims, non-competition claims, trade secret and unfair competition claims, contract claims, WARN ACT claims, wrongful discharge, whistleblower claims and other employment claims.

I believe mediation provides the parties with an opportunity to find a solution that is better than the alternative of continued litigation and sometimes provides an opportunity for a party to obtain something that cannot be obtained in court or through arbitration. I believe in allowing the parties to vent their feelings and then help them see the weaknesses in their case and the advantages of moving on with their lives and businesses. I probe factual and legal issues and have been successful in getting parties to trust and listen to me and to formulate settlements that all parties can live with. Where possible, I try to create win-win settlements and look for any non-monetary terms that will facilitate settlement. I tend to keep joint sessions to a minimum unless both parties feel that joint sessions would facilitate settlement. I typically require some type of pre-mediation submission. If counsel are willing, I like to have a separate brief conversation with counsel for each side separately prior to the mediation to explore potential obstacles to settlement and how to overcome them. Unless there is a reason not to do so, I encourage a brief meet and greet conference where procedures are explained and the mediation agreement is signed, and then break the parties up and go from one party to the other party gathering information and exchanging settlement proposals unless it makes sense to meet with aligned parties as a group.

Proficient with Zoom and Microsoft Teams and willing to conduct mediations and arbitrations via zoom.

University of Virginia (JD-1976); Harvard University (BA-1973).

Admitted to the Bar: Kansas (1990), Missouri (1976); U.S. District Court: Western District of Missouri (1976), District of Kansas (1990); U.S. Court of Appeals: Fourth (1987), Eighth (1976), and Tenth (1980) Circuits.

American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Labor and Employment Law Section; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section); Missouri Bar Association (Litigation Committee; Labor and Employment Law Committee; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section); Kansas Bar Association (Litigation Section; Labor and Employment Law Section; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section); Kansas City Society of Human Resource Managers.

Co-Presenter of AAA Webinar Dealing with the Pro Se Party In Mediation and Arbitration on February 18, 2014; Co-editor, MISSOURI AND FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT LAW MANUAL; KANSAS AND FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT LAW MANUAL; various articles on employment law issues for local publications including KANSAS CITY STAR and KANSAS CITY SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY and SHRM of Kansas City; co-author CLE Deskbook on Missouri Employment Discrimination, chapter on gender discrimination. Since the beginning of 2018 has authored or co-authored 27 articles and client alerts on a variety of employment law topics. Since the beginning of 2018 have presented or been a co-presenter of 7 seminars/webinars on employment topics including multiple presentation on COVID-19 and vaccination issues. For a complete list of recent publications and speaking engagements, please see Professional Involvement on firm website http://www.sb-kc.com/kansas-city-attorney/john-vering/.

Metropolitan Kansas City.

Hourly Rate: $500.00 Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: $500.00/hr Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: Not provided Comment: Mediator charges for all study time and all expenses, including but not limited to mileage, hotel, and meals. Also charges one-half regular hourly rate for travel time outside Kansas City metropolitan area.

English

United States of America

Kansas City, Missouri