Profile

Douglas J. Witten

Esq.

It can be challenging to find neutrals with both extensive ADR experience and sophisticated health law backgrounds. Having to explain to an arbitrator or mediator the basics of the Stark law, anti-kickback laws, the FCA, or other health law nuances can be frustrating and distracting. A neutral steeped in both healthcare and also the art and skill of dispute resolution, I am pleased to offer litigants a unique combination of substantive health law knowledge and foremost ADR technique. I am a problem-solver, and helping parties resolve disputes is what I do best. I am a listener, an analyzer, and a peacemaker. I am also a conscientious, accomplished legal writer and practitioner. For me, dispute resolution is not a hobby; it is not a bridge to retirement or a side project. Rather, I devote 100% of my professional eff orts to mediation and arbitration and am passionate about my work. I bring energy, dedication, and insight to each case in which I am involved, allowing all parties an opportunity to be heard and an attractive alternative to traditional litigation. If there is potential for disputing parties to reach common ground, I will help you find it. I am a mediator and arbitrator with nearly 30 years of legal experience. I have served as a neutral in approximately 1500 cases since 2003 and off er dispute resolution services, in English and Spanish, across areas including healthcare, accidents and injuries, and employment and commercial matters. I previously practiced law in the healthcare and corporate departments of global firms King & Spalding LLP and Long, Aldridge & Norman LLP (n/k/a Dentons), and also served Georgia’s workers’ compensation agency in management roles such as Deputy Director and Chief Mediator of the ADR Division, Appellate Division Director, and Attorney General Liaison. I now serve as a panel neutral for the AHLA, the AAA, and FINRA. I am actively involved in the Dispute Resolution Section (DRS) of the American Bar Association and have served, among other roles, as Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association DRS (2022-23), and as Treasurer (2023-24), Secretary (2024-25), and Vice Chair (2025-26) of the State Bar of Georgia DRS. Since 2023, Thomson Reuters has selected me for inclusion in the prestigious Georgia “Super Lawyers” list for ADR. Additionally, I have written and presented extensively on healthcare, negotiation, mediation, and dispute resolution topics. My publications include The Stoic Negotiator™ newsletter, Mediation Essentials Toolkit: A Practitioner’s Emergency Survival Guide, and Time-Tested: The Stoic Negotiator's Five Keys for the Modern Deal. I have served as a trainer for the American Negotiation Institute and offered on-demand negotiation courses through The Stoic Negotiator™ Academy, Practicing Law Institute (PLI), and LinkedIn Learning. If I can answer questions or provide additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to having the opportunity to assist you.

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