JOURNAL
Strength in Specialization
FEATURED PROFESTSHIOENMAOLNPTROFILE OF
2013
H
by Jennifer Hadley
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ne look at the Subject Matter Mediation Services (SMMS) website will clear up any ambiguity about what differentiates the newly formed mediation panel from other mediation services companies in San Diego. The company’s founders, Doug Sohn, President, and Cheri Sohn, Vice President and General Manager, don’t pull any punches when it comes to conveying the single biggest strength of their mediation panel company. “Because our mediators already know the law, they get right down to the business of resolving your case, saving you time and money,” reads the homepage. Speaking with DOUG SOHN Doug and Cheri confirms that this declaration is not just for show. Founded in December 2012, with offices in La Jolla, “The SMMS panel is centered on the concept of subject matter expertise, which emphasizes the type of case in which a party is involved and ensures that they will be provided with a mediator who has expertise in that particular subject matter,” Doug Sohn explains. To that end, when Sohn CHERI SOHN and his wife Cheri first conceived of the panel, they realized that this focus would be the linchpin in differentiating their mediation company from others. “After 35 years in litigation practice, I wanted to become involved in a process that was less adversarial, and more focused on meeting the needs of all of the participants,” Doug says. With the help of his wife Cheri, who has served as the Office Manager of The Law Offices of Sohn & Associates for more than ten years, 26
When It Comes To Resolving Disputes: Specialization Reigns Supreme for Subject Matter Mediation Services, Inc. the two became convinced that with the highly competitive mediation market, it would be imperative that they carve a niche for their company, or risk lackluster success. “We started doing research on mediation companies. We found that most panels focus on the process of mediation,” Sohn says. In fact, he found that when he tried to find mediators who had expertise in specific areas of law or subject matter, it proved a challenge. “Focusing on the process of mediation is a legitimate approach,” Sohn says. But he realized that focusing on subject matter expertise was an equally valuable, yet largely untapped model.
Handpicked Professionals To that end, Sohn decided that he would seek out those with expertise in 9 specific areas of law: Business Litigation, Probate Litigation, Employment Law, Real Estate Law, Antitrust & Securities Law, Injury Law, Lemon Law & Other Auto, Commercial Litigation and Construction Law. Sohn admits to spending a great deal of time scouring attorney biographies to find those with the specific expertise in the designated fields, and more importantly, who had at least 10 years of litigation experience in those areas of law.
Attorney Journal | Volume 122, 2013
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