American College of Civil Trial Mediators Announces 2000 Outstanding Achievement Awards.

Business Editors/Legal Writers

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2000

Lawrence M. Watson, Jr., President of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, announced today that Anthony C. Piazza of Gregorio Haldeman & Piazza of San Francisco, is the recipient of the 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award from the College. The awards will be presented at the College's annual awards gala, held in conjunction with the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference, at the Clift Hotel, San Francisco, on April 8, 2000. The honored speaker for the awards banquet is Benjamin R. Civiletti, former United States Attorney General.

Mr. Piazza is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and has been a member of the California Bar since 1974. Since 1981, he has specialized in third-party dispute resolution and the mediation of issues arising in business transactions. The focus of his work is mediation, but he has also extensive experience as an arbitrator, special master and judge pro tem. Mr. Piazza has successfully mediated over three thousand major disputes throughout the United States and internationally.

Also being honored by the College at this year's awards ceremony for outstanding achievement in the field of alternative dispute resolution in their respective categories are:

--   The United States Postal Service National REDRESS Task Force -
     2000 Institutional Award of Excellence
--   Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution - 2000 ADR
     Education/Training Award for Excellence
--   National Arbitration and Mediation Corporation - 2000 ADR
     Provider Organization Award for Innovation

The United States Postal Service is being honored specifically for their institution-wide EEO dispute resolution program, known as REDRESS (Resolve Employment Disputes Reach Equitable Solutions Swiftly), a program that was born out of a class action settlement in the northern district of Florida and has been expanded to cities across the country. Within the next two years, postal employees in every performance cluster in the nation will have access to mediation for resolving EEO disputes.

The Straus Institute of the Pepperdine University School of Law is being recognized for excellence in the area of ADR education and training. Established at Pepperdine to meet the changing legal environment of dispute resolution, the Straus Institute was recently named the number one academic dispute resolution program in the nation.

NAM Corporation, also known as National Arbitration and Mediation, provides arbitration and mediation services to thousands of individuals, corporations and law firms throughout the world. It is the parent company of clickNsettle.com, an internet-based dispute resolution program. NAM Corporation is a leading provider of web-enabled services to its clients and is being honored for its innovative use of technology in the dispute resolution industry.

The American College of Civil Trial Mediators is an association of dispute resolution professionals who are distinguished by their skill and professional commitment to civil trial mediation. The Fellows of the College are dedicated to improving ethical and professional standards of mediation practice while fostering the growth of alternative dispute resolution systems throughout the country.

In fulfilling its mission, the College conducts advanced ADR educational programs, supports ADR research, and politically encourages the growth of ADR systems. In addition, it is a principal objective of the College to publicly recognize those persons making major contributions to the ADR movement nationwide.