Jim Burghardt is an excellent mediator – particularly for complex disputes that seem unlikely to settle. He is extremely creative, always well-prepared and tireless. Jim deserves my highest recommendation.

Jim served as a mediator in a complex and emotionally-charged case involving the management of a non-profit corporation. He was thoughtful, adaptive and highly creative in achieving a settlement that, at first, appeared nearly impossible. He even worked late into the night with the parties to help reach a compromise. The settlement agreement later collapsed (through no fault of Jim’s), which prompted him to follow-up at least a dozen times to piece an agreement back together. Jim was successful in a difficult case where few other mediators would have made any progress at all. His efforts were nothing short of heroic, and I strongly recommend him for any case.

Jim is a fantastic mediator. He uses a unique approach that involves substantial early work on his part to truly understand the facts and the parties’ interests, and his work pays off. Jim works tirelessly to move the parties toward resolution, and he uses his creativity, savvy, skill, and experience every step of the way. Jim is determined to explore every potential for resolution, and is thoughtful in presenting options to the parties. I recommend Jim 100%.

In a complex case involving a lot of money and tough personalities, Jim’s preparation, mastery of the facts and law, and advance meetings with counsel, gave him great credibility. In the mediation session his empathy for the parties, creative and adaptive style, respectful push-back on positions, and never-give-up but professional demeanor, absolutely helped the parties achieve the resolution they sought. I highly recommend Jim.

After more than two years into a complex stalemated Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, I was skeptical that mediation would be of any benefit. However, Jim did a masterful job in resolving the issues, and we were able to reach an agreement to the benefit of both parties.

We hired Jim as mediator in a contentious and complicated fraudulent conveyance action brought by my client, a Chapter 7 Trustee, against several parties. Going into the mediation, Jim did an extraordinary job of familiarizing himself with the facts, interviewing the players, and understanding their goals. At mediation Jim was professional, candid, and pragmatic. It was clear that he had a firm grasp of the facts and legal issues, and he quickly spotted strengths and weaknesses of both sides and common ground to explore meaningful settlement. I do not hesitate to conclude that Jim’s preparation, diligence, and insights were the primary factors that drove a favorable settlement. I wholeheartedly endorse Jim and will be hiring him again.

Jim served as mediator in a complex avoidance action in which I, as Chapter 11 plan administrator, was plaintiff. The claims involved unusual preference claims, with significant sums of money at issue. The parties and counsel were sophisticated; the issues were well-researched, but the facts were complicated and there were no clear answers. Jim was organized and well-prepared. His pre-mediation process was straightforward, clear and contributed to the positive outcome. Throughout, Jim was balanced and forthright, providing feedback necessary to keep the parties moving forward. Jim’s persistence and patience was tangible and his manner minimized the adversity between the parties. We arrived efficiently at a settlement that was fair, but would not have been possible without Jim’s efforts.