New at Jams.

Jams, one of the leading local providers of alternative dispute resolution services, announced that Chris Poole has been named president and chief executive of the company. He will take over on Jan. 2.

Poole succeeds Steve Price who has helmed the company for the past decade.

"Chris possesses the personality, collaborative leadership style and valuable legal services expertise which make him perfect to carry on our mission of providing the highest quality resolution services," William Bettinelli, a retired judge who is chair of the board of directors at Jams, said in a written statement.

Poole was most recently chief executive at Thomson Elite, which provides management services to the legal industry. He has also held the position of executive director at Latham & Watkins.

As the cost and length of court trials have increased in recent years, more disputing parties and their lawyers have turned to private mediation and arbitration services to resolve cases. The industry has also benefited by the growing prevalence of clauses in contracts that require parties resolve their dispute with a private arbitrator.

Jams was founded in southern California in 1979. Today, the company employs more than 200 full-time neutrals across the country, many of which are former judges.

The former California-based federal judges employed at the company include Loudres Baird, Stephen Haberfeld and Dickran Tevrizian.