NEW YORK - The CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution, a nonprofit alliance of 500 of the largest global corporations, law firms, scholars, and public institutions,announced today the completion of an aggressive diversity initiative among its proprietary Panel of Neutrals. CPR specifically set out to increase the number of prominent arbitrators and mediators from under-represented groups on its prestigious Panel of Neutrals, and has to date added nearly 20 new members. All of the new Panel members are women or minorities.

CPR's Panel of Neutrals is a prestigious and highly selective list that CPR maintains for the reference of corporate users and their counsel when they seek neutrals of particular sophistication for high-stakes, complex or multiparty disputes. Over the past few years, Panel members have provided global resolutions in thousands of cases, with billions of dollars at issue.

Thomas J. Stipanowich, CPR's President and Chief Executive Officer, explained that the initiative was a response to the needs of CPR's constituent corporate members. "Our corporate members and their counsel have told us that it is increasingly critical to them to be able to identify excellent neutrals of diverse backgrounds," explained Stipanowich. "These needs reinforce and shape our own commitment to innovation, integrity and fairness in the field of conflict resolution."

"The legal and business communities associate CPR's Panels of Distinguished Neutrals with quality, sophistication and a very high degree of selectivity," said Stipanowich. "With these additions, we increase our diversity as well, and end up with an even richer and deeper resource for the corporate community."

Others agree on the importance of the CPR effort. Former Third Circuit Judge Timothy K. Lewis, Counsel with the National law firm, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, resident in the Washington, D.C. office, assisted with the CPR identification process.

"Corporate counsel throughout the United States have made it increasingly clear that diversity in all phases of the workplace is not only a laudable and achievable goal, but a business necessity," he said. "CPR has answered this clarion call by identifying an exceptionally talented array of neutrals from diverse backgrounds to make available for the resolution of corporate disputes. I am confident that this effort will benefit the corporate community, and, in a larger sense, our country."

Robert J. Grey, Jr., is a partner at the Richmond law firm Hunton & Williams and incoming President of the American Bar Association. He has this to say of the CPR initiative: "Every time the contributions of people of color are expanded in our system, it is a win for all of us. We are a strong and richly gifted community and all of us are strengthened when any one of us is recognized."

About CPR Institute For Dispute Resolution The CPR Institute For Dispute Resolution is a pioneer and leader in the area of dispute resolution. Founded in 1979 as the Center for Public Resources, CPR promotes excellence and innovation in public and private dispute resolution, and serves as a primary multinational resource for avoidance, management and resolution of business-related and other disputes. CPR's unparalleled wealth of intellectual property and published material has educated and motivated America toward an increased reliance on negotiation rather than litigation. CPR's proprietary Panel of esteemed arbitrators and mediators has provided resolutions in thousands of cases, with billions of dollars at issue, worldwide.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.cpradr.org.

Contacts

CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution
Liz Chatfield, 203-921-1323
203-253-6698 (cell)
lizchatfield@optonline.net

CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution

CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution

More from CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution