Peter A. Scarpato

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Peter Scarpato is an experienced alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) professional, who has served in over 250 cases as either arbitrator or mediator. He began his career as a lawyer licensed to practice in New Jersey and New York, and moved into the corporate sector, where his work required negotiation of hundreds of complex commercial disputes and settlements involving both insurance and noninsurance matters. His career ADR practice covered all forms of civil, commercial, contract, construction and insurance disputes, with a specific expertise in property/casualty insurance and reinsurance, run-off (legacy) business, FINRA securities claims, construction/surety claims, and automobile and other types of warranties.

He is or has been a member of several arbitration and mediation associations and programs, including New Era ADR, Alterity, FairClaims, Demars & Associates, ARIAS-US, The Re/Insurance Mediation Institute, Inc. ("ReMedi"), Executive Mediator Services, Case Closure, LLC, Construction Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., FINRA (formerly the NASD), the Better Business Bureau (for Lemon Law claims), and ADR programs of the State and Federal Courts of New Jersey and New York.

Peter wore many hats in his career: served as outside and in-house counsel, senior profit center executive managing business and related litigation, senior executive for the collection and negotiation of reinsurance balances, and arbitrator or mediator successfully resolving disputes. This unique background gives him a “global view” of effective, efficient ADR. 

With 40+ years of experience, Peter is qualified to offer a comprehensive perspective on the proper and reasonable resolution of all types of disputes. 

Highlights from his career include:

• Served as member of the Board of Directors of AIRROC, and Chair/Editor-in-Chief of its Publication Committee; Board of Editors of Harris Martin’s Reinsurance Report.

• Frequent lecturer on ADR, insurance and reinsurance issues at industry-related and continuing legal education seminars, including programs sponsored by The Insurance Society of Philadelphia, AIRROC, American Conference Institute, ARIAS-U.S., Marcus Evans, LexisNexis Mealey’s, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM).

• Published articles in HarrisMartin’s Reinsurance Report, The New Jersey Law Journal, JTW News and Mealey’s Litigation Report: Reinsurance.

• Frequent instructor for ARIAS-US’ arbitrator training workshops and also volunteers time to participate in mock mediation training sessions at NYU School of Law in New York City.

EDUCATION

Rutgers School of Law, Camden NJ: Juris Doctor (1981)
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ: BA in Slavic Language and Literature/Linguistics Minor (1978)

EXPERIENCE

Self-Employed Arbitrator and Mediator August 2021 to present

• Virtual hearings and settlement conferences for FairClaims, Demars & Associates, New Era ADR.

Chubb Insurance Company: Vice President (2014-2018)/Senior Collections Officer (2019-2021)

• Responsible to negotiate collection of multi-million-dollar open balances in complex cases.
• Managed all phases of dispute resolution process, for both arbitration and litigation.

Conflict Resolved, LLC:Arbitrator and Mediator (2005 – 2014)

• Formed LLC to create and grow full time alternative dispute resolution practice. Arbitrator in over 150 cases, including for reinsurance, insurance.
• Served in over 100 mediations involving all forms of civil, commercial and construction disputes for Federal and State courts, FINRA Securities Cases, and other mediation providers.

American International Group, Inc.: Vice President (1998 – 2002) /Senior Vice President (2003-2005)

• Managed captive reinsurance, warranty, and surety business, including arbitrations and litigation. 
• SVP for Surety Department, managing operation of 50-person team.

AmericanCentennial Insurance Co.:  Vice President (1985 – 1990)/General Counsel (1990 – 1997)

• In-house counsel, responsible to manage all legal processes and ongoing arbitrations and litigation.  Negotiated collection and settlement of multi-million-dollar open balances.

NY Telephone:  Regulatory Attorney (1984 – 1985)

Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch: Litigation Associate (1982 – 1984)

Hon. David G. Lucas NJ Superior Court:Judicial Law Clerk for Trial Judge (1981 – 1982)