Robert Ezra- The power of mediation to resolve disputes is well known in legal circles, but it is not as familiar to the fashion industry. As a former garment-business owner myself, I started Fashion Dispute Resolution (FDR) because I saw a need in the apparel and textile industries to give business owners a way to resolve their differences in a less costly and time-consuming manner as opposed to the court process.
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Case Study I: Transformative Mediation
An example of an emotional, multi-issue dispute resolved by FDR involves two friends and business partners. Let’s call them Smith and Jones.
Smith is a licensed contractor who alleged that he helped Jones remodel his house but Jones never paid him for his work. Jones asserted that Smith was just a friend helping out, that there was no formal contract for the work and that, besides, the work Smith did was defective. Smith sued Jones for non-payment.