Steven G. Toole Mediation Services
In successful mediations the neutral party should be experienced, respectful, a good listener and able to see all sides of an argument. A good mediator is able to achieve success if he or she is able to empower the parties to reach a joint resolution in which all parties are confident that they have reached the right result under the circumstances. Steve Toole has spent over 40 years as a personal injury litigator and now over 12 years as a full-time mediator. He has repeatedly utilized these traits to enable him to develop his reputation as a skilled, top-rate mediator who consistently gets results.
I highly recommend Steve Toole as a mediator in injury cases. As a long-time plaintiff attorney, Steve has gained the trust of the plaintiff attorney community. He is not interested in beating down a plaintiff to take a low-ball offer for the sake of making a case settle. Somehow, Steve has also earned credibility with defense attorneys and insurance companies. He uses a patient, respectful tone in explaining true risk to each party, and is often able to move them to settle cases in numbers that they did not anticipate. Steve has been a practicing attorney for more than four decades. This experience has given him broad perspective about the likely value of personal injury cases. He listens to the injured party with compassion and respect and, aside from consistently achieving good results, he makes the whole mediation process enjoyable. I give two thumbs up in support of Steve as mediator. He is among the finest in the northwest legal community.
Steve Toole’s mediation style and preparation separate him from many others in the profession. I have had several cases in which key facts and issues were identified and well understood early in the process by Steve and were instrumental in getting both sides to an efficient and fair resolution. While having a very good success rate, on the rare occasions a first session cannot fully resolve a matter, Steve is also one of the few mediators who consistently follows up directly with key take-aways and points to consider when discussing with a client and/or claims professionals. These points are very helpful when evaluating the strength of a case, and its risks, moving to trial. They often lead to a productive discussion and resolution. From a defense perspective, Steve’s ability to evaluate a plaintiff’s credibility and presentation is also very helpful to clients and/or claims professionals. He understands the important risks and costs factors that come into each claim evaluation and can speak in the language understood by defendants and their insurance companies.