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CONSTRUCTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES, LLC

WELCOME

Welcome to the award winning website of Construction Dispute Resolution Services, LLC. (CDRS).  CDRS is a professional dispute resolution firm that specializes in both residential and commercial construction disputes and is available to conduct mediations and/or arbitrations anywhere in the United States and in selected foreign countries.  In addition, CDRS provides construction specialists and expert witnesses for any form of dispute resolution including civil litigation.  CDRS also specializes in providing experts to serve on Dispute Review Boards and Construction Settlement Panels for major construction projects. 

CDRS Professionals all have extensive training in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and are experienced in providing an independent, unbiased and neutral mediation or arbitration process.  These same Professionals have the ability to know how to be a convincing construction industry specialist while serving as a professional witness or while providing expert testimony during a dispute proceeding.

Most of the CDRS Professionals have had many years of hands-on building and/or remodeling experience, which is a must for an expert or a witness in a construction dispute proceeding, or for a mediator or arbitrator, especially if they will be rendering a final and binding decision during a binding mediation or issuing a binding award at the conclusion of an arbitration.  Many of the CDRS Professionals are, or have been, licensed contractors, architects, home inspectors, building code enforcement officials, construction attorneys or other construction related industry personnel who can provide an expertise that only an experienced construction related professional can provide.  Some of the areas that CDRS can provide professional specialists are:

Because of the growing nationwide interest in “Green Building and Remodeling” and the special expertise that will be required of the mediators and arbitrators involved in green disputes, CDRS is in the process of developing a panel of ADR specialists who have an expertise related to green building to provide the construction industry with not only Green ADR specialists but also green specialists to serve as experts in construction-related green arbitrations or litigations where green specialists will be required to assist the parties in educating an arbitrator, judge or jury about green building or remodeling. Please check the special section of the CDRS website “National Green Panel” for the names, locations and expertise of the members of the “CDRS National Green Panel”.

With the recent publication of the newly revised “AIA Contract Documents” and the new “Consensus Documents”, the recognition and importance of the IDM (Independent Decision Maker) and DRBs (Dispute Review Boards) has been not only recognized but recommended as an option for major construction projects. A totally neutral IDM and a DRB is now recognized as an essential part of the dispute resolution process to not only assist in settling disputes but to also be instrumental in helping to prevent disputes. CDRS has, for several years, conducted and trained most of its panel of Construction ADR Specialists in the art and techniques of serving as an effective member of a DRB and in the facilitation and participation in Expanded Dispute Review Boards and Construction Settlement Panels. Many of our Construction ADR Specialists have the expertise, experience and training to be able to serve as an IDM or as a member of a DRB.

The CDRS website was designed to be user friendly for general contractors, subcontractors, home owners or building owners, municipalities, attorneys or anyone else who find themselves involved in a construction dispute.  The website provides a definition section to familiarize everyone with the words and terms that are commonly used in the dispute resolution process.  The website contains a comprehensive explanation of the regularly utilized alternative dispute resolution processes including mediation, binding mediation, binding and non-binding arbitration, med-arb and other dispute resolution procedures.           

Our website also provides a construction related biography of each of its principal mediators/arbitrators and professional experts.  All of the important mediation and arbitration forms, documents, and dispute resolution fees and costs are also located on the website which provide a great deal of information to those who are involved in a dispute resolution proceeding.  General contractors who are interested in adding dispute resolution to their construction contracts can find suggested contract language in a special section of the website.            If you can’t find the information that you need somewhere on the CDRS website, please feel free to contact CDRS directly for a free consultation.

All Domestic ADR training courses are conducted by the CDRS DISPUTE RESOLUTION TRAINING INSTITUTE, the educational division of Construction Dispute Resolution Services, LLC. Training courses are regularly conducted in March and September each year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. All International ADR Training Courses are conducted by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) both in the United States and across the world.

All CDRS Domestic Arbitrators are required to attend the CDRS Institute’s 16-hour, two-day “Arbitration Training Course” before they are qualified and allowed to serve as an arbitrator on behalf of CDRS. The course carries the following MCLE Credits for attorneys that are accepted in almost every state in the US. 12.0 General, 1.0 Ethics and 2.0 Professionalism.

Both Domestic and Foreign ADR Specialists on the “CDRS International Panel of Construction ADR Specialists” are required to take the Basic Arbitration Training Course as provided by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). CDRS conducts its international arbitrations according to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules which are covered by the CIArb in their basic arbitration course. All members of the CDRS National and International Dispute Review Board Panels are required to attend the CDRS one-day intensive DRB Training course as the CDRS Specialized DRB Programs are unique and different than any other standard DRB programs. The CDRS DRB Training Course is taught by both CDRS and the CIArb. The CDRS Expanded DRB Programs can be utilized throughout the world and vary only as a result of the differences in the enforcement of the final and binding decisions and awards issued through the ADR processes of the DRB as dictated by the Rules and Procedures of the jurisdictions in the different countries. The DRB Training Course carries the following MCLE Credits for attorneys that are accepted in almost every state in the US. 5.5 General, 1.0 Ethics and 1.0 Professionalism.

The CDRS Dispute Resolution Training Institute conducts an eight hour, one day, Advanced ADR Training Course for those ADR Specialists who wish to expand their knowledge of special ADR processes such as Binding Mediation, Arb-Med, Structured Arb-Med, etc. The Advanced ADR Training Course carries the following MCLE Credits for attorneys that are accepted in almost every state in the US. 5.5 General, 1.0 Ethics and 1.0 Professionalism.

Further information describing the various training courses and the Course Registration Form are located in the Dispute Resolution Training section of this website. You may also contact CDRS for further information.

ALTHOUGH THE ARBITRATION AND ADVANCED ADR COURSES ARE CONDUCTED BY THE CDRS DISPUTE RESOLUTION TRAINING INSTITUTE AND THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ARBITRATORS, THE COURSE CONTENT IS GENERIC TO ALL INDUSTRIES. THE CASES AND ROLE PLAYS ARE THE ONLY PART OF THE TRAINING COURSES THAT ARE USUALLY GEARED DIRECTLY TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.       

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Dispute Resolution Training