Eric Galton

Eric Galton is considered by many to be a pioneer and defining force in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Since 1989 he has mediated over seven thousand cases, employing a variety of mediation styles. Mr. Galton is highly versatile; he mediates disputes ranging from a half day to two weeks in length, in cities all over Texas and elsewhere in the country, involving anywhere from two to 125 parties from a broad spectrum of ethnic, socioeconomic, political, and business backgrounds. He mediates disputes in over 17 areas of law. In addition to his wealth of practical experience, Eric Galton inspires and motivates participants through his uncompromising ethics, incisiveness, compassion, and genuine love of the mediation process. Mr. Galton has mediated in excess of three thousand employment disputes, with over four hundred FLSA in that group.

Mr. Galton has also served as an Arbitrator in over a hundred cases, with thirty of those cases being employment disputes. Mr. Galton has been named a Texas Superlawyer in ADR from 2005 to the present and is a Past President of the International Academy of Mediators. Mr. Galton is one of eight members of the 200 member IAM who received Knight’s Status, the organization’s highest designation. Mr. Galton’s sixth ADR book, Stories Mediator’s Tell, was published by the ABA in the spring of 2012. Mr. Galton’s books have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese. Mr. Galton has been listed in the Whose Who of International Commercial Mediators since 2010. Mr. Galton is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and is a credentialed distinguished mediator by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association.

Book Now:

eric@lakesidemediation.com

Qualifications

Licensed to practice law by the State Bar of Texas in November 1976.
Certified to practice law in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas in June 1988.
Training certificate from the Academy of Attorney Mediators in 1989.
Training certificate from the A.A. White Institute in 1990.
Training certificate from the Advanced Mediation Training Seminar of the State Bar of Texas, 1994.
Mr. Galton has experience conducting mediations of international business disputes which have involved representatives from the United States, Mexico, Canada, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and Great Britain.
State Bar of Texas ADR Section
Travis County Bar ADR Section
International Academy of Mediators, Board of Governors, Past President Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
ABA Section on Dispute Resolution
Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution
Texas Association of Mediators (Director, 1997-1999)
President and Founder, Austin Mediators’ Society
President, International Academy of Mediators
Texas Mediator Credentialing Association-Credentialed Distinguished
National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals

Fee Schedule

FULL DAY CASE – $ 2150.00 per party – full day
HALF DAY CASE – $ 1100.00 per party – half day
HALF DAY COMPLEX AND CLASS FLSA MEDIATIONS – $2000.00 per party - half day
FULL DAY COMPLEX AND CLASS FLSA MEDIATIONS – $4000.00 per party - full day

A full day is an eight (8) hour mediation session. All hours after 8 hours are billed at $750.00 per hour and divided equally by the parties.

CANCELLATION FEE
After a mediation is scheduled and notices of the mediation are sent, no cancellation fee shall be charged if the mediation is cancelled FOURTEEN (14) days from the date scheduled for mediation. Such cancellation must be in writing. If the mediation is cancelled within 14 days of the date set for mediation, a cancellation fee of 50% of the daily rate per party shall be charged to each party. The mediator may excuse the cancellation fee if the cancellation is due to medical reasons, court intervention, or an event beyond the parties’ control. Should a mediation reschedule and no rescheduling fee is charged and then the mediation is not rescheduled or is cancelled for any reason, the entire fee is due and all fee deposits are forfeited.

REVIEWING PRE-MEDIATION SUBMISSIONS
The daily rate charged each party includes up to two (2) hours per party for reviewing pre-mediation submissions. All reading time beyond 2 hours shall be charged to that party at $750.00 per hour and shall be billed with the expense invoice after the mediation.

FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE MEDIATION SESSION
The daily rate includes up to 1.5 hours of post-session follow-up with no additional charge. All post-session follow-up beyond 1.5 hours shall be charged at $750.00 per hour and divided equally by the parties.

SCHEDULING MULTIPLE-DAY MEDIATIONS
Should the parties schedule two or more days of mediation, the parties shall be responsible for the entirety of their portion of the mediation fee for all days reserved, regardless of the length of the mediation session. The cancellation or rescheduling fee described above shall apply to the fee for the total number of days reserved.

HOLDING DATES
A party may request to hold a mediation date. Such requested holds shall be honored for forty-eight (48) hours from the time of the request. Should such date not be confirmed within 48 hours, the requested date may be given to other parties requesting the date.

Education

Earned an Undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1973, Magna Cum Laude With Distinction in History.

Earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in 1976, and was the recipient of the Perry L. Jones Memorial Award.

Licenses and Certifications

Licensed to practice law by the State Bar of Texas in November 1976.

Certified to practice law in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas in June 1988.

Training certificate from the Academy of Attorney Mediators in 1989.

Training certificate from the A.A. White Institute in 1990.

Training certificate from the Advanced Mediation Training Seminar of the State Bar of Texas, 1994.

Work History

Eric Galton practiced law from 1976-1985 with Hancock, Piedfort, Galton & McGill. From 1985-1997, Eric Galton was a shareholder at Wright & Greenhill. Eric became a partner with the firm of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody in 1997 until leaving the firm to establish Galton, Cunningham & Bourgeois, P.L.L.C.

Prior to becoming a full time mediator, Eric Galton was a litigator in the areas of personal injury, commercial, employment, and consumer litigation. He represented both plaintiffs and defendants and handled in excess of 80 trials before the court and more than 40 jury trials.

Areas of Mediation Experience

Mr. Galton has mediated disputes in all of the following areas: FLSA class action and collective, medical negligence, construction disputes, intellectual property disputes, legal malpractice, employment disputes, personal injury, environmental disputes, products liability, consumer disputes, Deceptive Trade Practice Act disputes, labor disputes, race/sex/age discrimination, Americans with Disabilities Act disputes, family law, suits involving government entities, international commercial disputes, and oil & gas disputes.

Mediation Locations

Eric Galton mediates throughout Texas and elsewhere in the United States. The following is a partial list of cities where Eric has mediated disputes: Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Brownsville, Temple, McAllen, Edinburgh, Weslaco, Laredo, Beaumont, Las Vegas, and Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Washington DC, Denver, Nashville, and New York City.

International Experience

Mr. Galton has experience conducting mediations of international business disputes which have involved representatives from the United States, Mexico, Canada, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and Great Britain.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Group Memberships

State Bar of Texas ADR Section

Travis County Bar ADR Section

International Academy of Mediators, Board of Governors, Past President Academy of Distinguished Neutrals

ABA Section on Dispute Resolution

Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution

Texas Association of Mediators (Director, 1997-1999)

President and Founder, Austin Mediators’ Society

President-elect International Academy of Mediators

Texas Mediator Credentialing Association-Credentialed Distinguished

National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals

Teaching

Mr. Galton has extensive experience teaching mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Eric has trained or lectured to mediators for the Academy of Attorney Mediators, the A. A. White Institute, the State Bar of Texas, The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, and the American Bar Association. He taught mediation as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law from 1996-2004, is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine School of Law, and was a peer mediator instructor for the Austin Independent School District at Mendez Middle School and Lanier High School from 1992-1996. In addition, Eric Galton served as a lecturer for the following Continuing Legal Education courses:

For the State Bar of Texas
Advanced Civil Trial

Advanced ADR

Advanced Personal Injury

Advanced Employment Law

Suing and Defending Government Entities

Advanced Family Law

Consumer Law

Advanced Real Estate Law

Advanced Oil and Gas Law

For the University of Texas School of Law
Resolving Commercial Disputes Without Trial

Products Liability

For the South Texas College of Law
Advanced Personal Injury

Family Law

For the Baylor College of Law
ADR Course

For Capital Law School
ADR Medical Malpractice Symposium

For the American Bar Association
Advanced ADR Symposiums, 1996-present
Course Director for State Bar of Texas Advanced ADR Course, 1994

Publications and Articles

Mr. Galton has published an article for each of the CLE courses listed above. Eric Galton has authored four books; Mediation: A Texas Practice Guide(1993), and Representing Clients in Mediation (1994), which are considered definitive reference books on mediation for the legal profession, and are currently required reading in law schools throughout the United States. Mediation: A TexasPractice Guide garnered the 1994 CPR Annual Book Award, and has been translated into French and Italian for distribution in Europe and will be coauthored with Avi Schneelbalg, a Belgian attorney and mediator. Eric’s also co-edited the ABA’s ADR Personalities and Practice Guide (1998), a collaboration with colleague Jim Alfini. Eric’s most book Ripples from Peace Lake: Essays for Mediators and Peacemakers (Trafford 2004) was published in 2004. Eric’s most recent book Stories Mediator’s Tell was published by the ABA in 2012 and was co-authored with professor Lela Love. Other Articles include:

Mediation Programs for Collegiate Sports Teams

Problem Areas in Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s List of Dos and Do Nots (with Professor Kim Kovach)

Through a Crystal Ball Darkly – The Untimely Death of Mediation

Things That Lawyers Do Best and Worst in Mediation(transcript excerpt from ABA Symposium)

A More Facilitative Mediation Approach in Governmental Entity Cases

Fitting the Food to the Fuss: A Dietary Guide for Dispute Resolution

The Mediator Parent Trap

Mediators and Stress: Caring for the Caretakers

The Most Personal of Injuries

Keeping the Peace: The Mendez Peer Mediators

The Ultimate Question: Why Mediate?

The Use of Experts at Mediation

The Development of the AISD Peer Mediation Program

Alternative Dispute Resolution Part of Civil Justice Revolution

The Preventable Death of Mediation

Awards and Achievements

1978-1979
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation

1980-1984
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation for Citizens’ Legal Education Committee work

1981
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation

1982
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation

1983
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation
Austin Young Lawyers Association Outstanding Young Lawyer

1983-1984
Texas Young Lawyers Association Presidential Award

1984
State Bar of Texas Special Award for Outstanding Service to the Public

1987
State Bar of Texas Service Award
Austin Young Lawyers Association Special Recognition for maintaining Austin Lawyers for Hunger Relief
Capital Area Food Bank Certificate of Appreciation for Austin Lawyers for Hunger Relief

1987-1988
Texas Young Lawyers Association President’s Award

1988
Caritas Outstanding Service Award

1991
Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow

1992
State Bar of Texas Presidential Citation (w/ Broadus Spivey)
Austin Adopt-A-School A+ Adopter of the Year Special Project Award

1994
CPR Annual Book Award

2005 to Present
Texas Super Lawyer

2008
Texas Lawyer Go-To Mediator

2011- present
International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediators

2004
Admitted as a Knight of the International Academy of Mediators

Volunteer and Community Service

Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Austin Lawyers for Hunger Relief

Six Years service for the Capital Area Food Bank

Caritas

United Action for the Elderly

Initiated the Peer Mediation Project at Mendez Middle School and Lanier High School and taught peer mediation from 1992-1996

Co-Chaired the inaugural Travis County Bar Settlement Week 1989 and again in 1992

Vice-Chair, United Methodist Church Just Peace Mediation Program.

Personal

Eric is married to Professor Kimberlee Kovach. She is a past Chair of the State Bar of Texas ADR Section and Immediate Past Chair of the ABA Section on Dispute Resolution. She authored the West Publishing book Mediation: Principles and Practice, and has trained in excess of eight thousand mediators. Mr. Galton is the proud father of five children: three sons, Justin, Seth, and Noah, and twin daughters, Katherine and Mikaela, and the proud grandfather of four: Gavin, Abigail, Jude, and Van. An avid basketball and football fan, Eric will talk to anyone about his favorite teams, the Duke University Blue Devils and the Texas Longhorns.