Al is a skilled arbitrator and mediator with a 35-year legal career of extensive experience litigating and resolving complex business and employment disputes. He has mediated the majority of nearly 200 cases to successful resolution. As an arbitrator, he brings a judicial temperament to each proceeding, making certain that all parties are heard and have a fair opportunity to present their cases.
Al has served as an arbitrator Chair, sole arbitrator, and member of three-arbitrator panels for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the International Institute for Conflict Prevent and Resolution, and as a private arbitrator for various administering organizations, including ADR Systems, Inc. and Dispute Resolution and Mediation Services, which he founded in 2012. He also serves on the roster of arbitrators for the New York State Court's Attorney Fee Dispute Resolution Program.
As a court-certified mediator for the Commercial Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court, Al brings to the table three decades of litigation experience representing numerous clients in business, employment, construction and real estate litigation in the state and federal courts, and mediation and arbitration proceedings. He has mediated claims collectively involving over $100 million in damages and has facilitated collective settlements in the millions of dollars. He is regularly recommended as a mediator by attorneys who have been involved in mediated cases that were successfully resolved with his efforts, attesting to the respect he has gained within the Alternative Dispute Resolution community.
Al has served as an arbitrator Chair, sole arbitrator, and member of three-arbitrator panels for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the International Institute for Conflict Prevent and Resolution, and as a private arbitrator for various administering organizations, including ADR Systems, Inc. and Dispute Resolution and Mediation Services, which he founded in 2012. He also serves on the roster of arbitrators for the New York State Court's Attorney Fee Dispute Resolution Program.
As a court-certified mediator for the Commercial Divisions of the New York State Supreme Court, Al brings to the table three decades of litigation experience representing numerous clients in business, employment, construction and real estate litigation in the state and federal courts, and mediation and arbitration proceedings. He has mediated claims collectively involving over $100 million in damages and has facilitated collective settlements in the millions of dollars. He is regularly recommended as a mediator by attorneys who have been involved in mediated cases that were successfully resolved with his efforts, attesting to the respect he has gained within the Alternative Dispute Resolution community.
Below is a sampling of representative cases of over 200 mediated and arbitrated proceedings that Al has been involved in over the years.
Representative Cases
Affiliations and ADR Rosters
Representative Cases
- Arbitrator Chair in a proceeding involving claims of millions of dollars in unpaid professional fees, accounting malpractice, fraud, and numerous other related claims.
- Arbitrator Chair in a proceeding alleging hundreds of thousands of dollars in contractual damages between registered broker-dealers for alleged failure to complete an agreed upon purchase of securities in an Initial Public Offering of a company's stock
- Arbitrator Chair in a proceeding involving claims by an employee of false, misleading and defamatory language described in a Central Registration Depository Record, as well as claims for significant compensatory damages arising from allegations of theft of corporate property
- Panel Arbitrator in a proceeding involving claims of failure to supervise and control person liability damages in the multi-millions of dollars. Upon a motion to vacate the Panel's Award, the United States District Court affirmed the Award.
- Arbitrator Chair in an employee claim of breach of employment contract against a large auto dealership for failure to pay significant bonus compensation and other benefits.
- Sole Arbitrator in a number of cases brought by registered brokers for expungement of various customer complaints on broker customer dispute records
- Mediator in a claim of breach of contract to provide certain services. The claims involved interpretation of a complex post-termination penalty provision that could have resulted in millions of dollars in damages. Settled.
- Mediator in claims involving factoring of accounts receivables and the parties' interpretation of risk of loss under the factoring agreement and whether the agreement had been breached by a subsequent bankruptcy filing. Claim settled in the millions of dollars.
- Mediator in a matter involving claims under an Employee Welfare Benefit Plan and its interpretation under ERISA as to whether a provider could recover certain fees and charges under an agreement to administer health care services. Settled.
- Mediator in a number of cases involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate brokers' commissions in connection with the sales of New York real estate. Settled.
- Mediator in a matter concerning a business partnership dispute that involved an ongoing business and numerous claims of alleged wrongdoing, breach of contract, misappropriation and corporate waste. The resolution involved a complicated buyout agreement valued in the millions of dollars. Settled.
Affiliations and ADR Rosters
- Arbitrator and Qualified Chair for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- Arbitrator and Distinguished Neutral, International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution
- Arbitrator, ADR Systems, Chicago, Illinois
- Arbitrator, NYS Courts Attorney Fee Dispute Resolution
- Arbitrator, Dispute Resolution & Mediation Services
- Member, New York State Bar Association Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Member, New York City Bar Association Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Member, New York International Arbitration Center
- New York State Appellate Division, Second Department, Civil Appeals Mediation Program, Special Master
- New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division, Mediation Panel for the five counties of NYC, Westchester and Nassau
- New York State Surrogate's Court, Bronx County, Mediation Panel
- American Arbitration Association, Mediator Panel
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts MediateArt Program, Mediator
Testimonials
- For References click here
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What Has Been Said About Al:
"Very attentive. Outstanding Listener!" "He takes to heart and has the concern of both parties involved." "Listens and considers all arguments and facts." "He did a nice job of controlling the pace of the mediation; keeping everyone on point and focused." "Mr. Rizzo was excellent!" "Worked impartially and moved the process along." |
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