“The courts of this country should not be the places where resolution of disputes begins. They should be the places where the disputes end after alternative methods of resolving disputes have been considered and tried.”
– Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Dispute Resolution That Works
At WoodworthMaker, we believe that most disputes can and should be resolved short of litigation and trial.
We believe that the parties themselves are best equipped to resolve their disputes, on their own terms, and need only be given the opportunity to do so.
We believe that a negotiated resolution works best for all concerned, without the cost, time, and toll of a protracted legal proceeding.
We Are Problem Solvers
Greg Woodworth and Scott Maker launched WoodworthMaker LLC in 2020 to offer mediation and arbitration services to disputing parties and to engage their extensive legal skills, judgment, and experience to help these parties find creative and mutually agreeable solutions to disputes that may seem intractable.
After beginning their careers as trial lawyers at Pierce Atwood, Maine’s largest law firm, Greg and Scott each went on to become successful leaders of legal departments for large financial services companies, overseeing and managing significant complex litigation matters. During this time, they participated in hundreds of mediations involving a variety of issues, helping bring many of them to a successful conclusion.
As mediators, Greg and Scott are guided by a number of important lessons garnered from their lengthy and successful careers:
Listening is often more helpful than talking.
Establishing trust is a critical component in almost every conflict resolution.
Clear and transparent communications greatly enhance the opportunity for resolution.
Understanding the law is important, but generally not as important as understanding people.
The financial, emotional, and productivity costs of trial rarely justify the stress of an uncertain outcome.
Scott and Greg have each earned certificates in mediation training from Harvard Law School. As a result of their extensive experience and training, the American Health Law Association has designated Greg and Scott as certified mediators and arbitrators. Both also have been designated as Affiliate Mediators by the American Arbitration Association and are also members of the Maine Association of Mediators. In addition, Greg has been designated a Certified Arbitrator by ARIAS U.S., an international reinsurance and insurance arbitration society.
Scott and Greg have been successful problem solvers their entire careers. They work hard to understand complex problems, opposing viewpoints, and party dynamics. They each bring a practical, results-oriented approach to every mediation, providing disputing parties the best opportunity to resolve their differences.