Meet Our Neutrals — Fadi Chakour

Capable and effective surgeons and mediators have something in common, a strong desire to help people in the moment.   Fadi Chakour has a passion for helping people.   Fadi was driven to become a surgeon by a desire to   solve acute problems, and the satisfaction of seeing positive results in real time.   Later, applying his medical knowledge to serve as defense counsel and more recently as plaintiffs’ counsel, Fadi saw that mediation created circumstances to allow parties in litigation to see relief and find solutions, sooner rather than later.   Like surgery, mediation can be the fix, can start the process of healing, and can lay the foundation for positive changes in the future.

His desire to help is not all that Fadi brings to dispute resolution.   He is also intellectually curious, mindful of how actions and words impact others, and understands the value of process and patience.   His love of chess and participation in chess tournaments while in medical school contributed to his understanding of actions having consequences, respect for process, and belief in the value of persistence.   These all add value to Fadi’s work as a mediator.

When not mediating, you may find Fadi and his family hiking the trails of North Carolina, Tennessee and Colorado.   We are fortunate to have Fadi on our panel and I hope you enjoy learning more about him.

What did you do before becoming a mediator?

I was a partner at a well-known and prestigious personal injury law firm. My practice concentrated on medical malpractice litigation. Before that, I practiced at one of Florida’s largest defense firms where I concentrated on medical malpractice and nursing home negligence defense.

What is your favorite part of being a mediator?

Mediation for me is an opportunity to do something really good. Mediation is like a ceasefire or a time-out from litigation. It is very rewarding for a mediator to turn the ceasefire into a permanent peace and end the litigation.

What do you wish people did more often in mediation?

What I wish is for the parties to provide as much information as possible about the case to the mediator prior to mediation. Not just the facts or the law surrounding the case, but also information about any unique personality traits related to their clients. This will help the mediator customize his/her approach to the mediation accordingly.

What are the traits of the greatest lawyers you have known?

Empathy, tenacity, and honesty.

What is your favorite movie? Book? Pastime? Sport, etc. and why?

My favorite book is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This novel tells one of the greatest human stories through a detailed and realistic description of the experiences and feelings of many individuals during the Napoleonic Wars.