Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution
At Saunders Law we understand that a client’s best interests are not always served by resorting to court. We evaluate the need to litigate, mediate or negotiate a dispute in the context of the client’s desired outcome. However, it is important for you to know that when you engage Saunders Law, we are ready, willing and able to take your case to court if that is the best course of action.
Developing a Proportionate Response
Identifying and then balancing a client’s goals with the need or problem he or she brings to us is how we nurture the synergy that is necessary to build successful lawyer-client relationships. We create opportunities and develop solutions for the problems our clients encounter through aggressive negotiation, alternative dispute resolution and the effective use of litigation. We have years of experience and proven success in representing the interests of our clients. Our guiding principle, whether we initiate legal action or defend a client’s interest in a broad range of litigation contexts, is to achieve the optimal and most cost-effective result.
Varied Litigation and Dispute Resolution Experience
We represent clients in a variety of matters that touch upon oil and gas, environmental and energy law. Our litigation matters take us from state and federal trial courts, through regulatory agencies and administrative tribunals like the Pennsylvania DEP and the Environmental Hearing Board, the PUC, EPA and FERC, to mediation and arbitration venues — as well as state and federal appellate courts. Examples of typical litigation matters we have handled for our clients include breach of oil and gas leases or other contracts, mineral rights disputes, property contamination, toxic tort lawsuits, state and federal pre-emption litigation, administrative and regulatory permitting, environmental fines and civil penalty assessments.
We can represent clients in mediation or contractual arbitration matters under the Federal Arbitration Act or the Pennsylvania Uniform Arbitration Act or those governed by the rules of private dispute resolution organizations such as AAA (the American Arbitration Association) and JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services). In particular, in many leases and related contracts between landowners and the natural gas exploration and production and midstream sectors landowners have intentionally or unintentionally given up their rights to litigate disputes and instead must resolve their claims through binding arbitration. In oil and gas disputes, our litigation practice is limited to representation of mineral rights owners and landowners and not the oil and gas industry.