Mr. Swanson has been practicing law since 1975 and with extensive experience in commercial and environmental litigation, he applies that experience to his dispute resolution practice. He acts as a mediator and arbitrator of business disputes, including environmental contamination and toxic contamination of real property. He is also an arbitrator for the Northern California business litigation panel of the American Arbitration Association.
Mr. Swanson’s approach to mediation comes from four decades of litigating, trying, and settling hundreds of business, real estate, and environmental disputes. His experience teaches that too often parties to disputes—and their legal counsel—become entrenched in maximalist positions to the exclusion of what it will take to resolve a dispute before that becomes a practical improbability due to the costs already invested in the matter. Thus, Mr. Swanson’s unique approach is to explore the underlying nature of the dispute as seen by the parties, as well as the legal and factual issues of each case. Understanding the motivating factors, Mr. Swanson can help lead each side to compromise a position and resolve the dispute that will often lead to a creative settlement that neither side could achieve by going to trial.
Mr. Swanson has made presentations on a variety of topics in environmental law and litigation and is well-respected in the community. In 2011, Mr. Swanson was recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in Business Litigation.
