North America: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

For hundreds of years, the world’s sovereign nations refused to allow any other foreign sovereign to be sued in their courts without the sovereign’s consent. The guiding principle was “absolute sovereign immunity,” an outgrowth of the ancient legal precept rex non potest peccare, understood to mean “the king can do no wrong.” The principle also was recognized as wise foreign policy because it extended "grace and comity" to other sovereigns.

There is a moment in mediation that seasoned neutrals recognize almost instinctively. It does not arrive with fanfare. It surfaces quietly, often within the first half hour, when counsel begin to frame the dispute. One attorney presents a coherent narrative, grounded in the facts and anchored in a realistic understanding of risk. The other does not.

In this episode of the SideBar Advisors podcast, Duane Morris Partner, Seth Rokosky, shares how legal paths actually unfolded in real life—through a series of decisions, tradeoffs, and adjustments.