Mediation Strategy: Preparing the Case, Navigating the Process, and Reaching the Settlement (IL) [Webinar] (Watch Live or via OnDemand Streaming)

Agenda

Agenda

Tuesday, December 1, 2026
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Faculty: Amit S. Bindra and Kristen E. Prinz
Judges: Hon. Brian Weinthal

The Purpose, Benefits, and Costs of Mediation

• The role and purpose of mediation
• Potential benefits of the mediation process
• Costs and other practical considerations

When to Mediate and How to Select a Mediator

• Timing considerations
• Factors involved in selecting a mediator
• Private, judicial, and court-connected mediation
• Mediation through administrative agencies, federal courts, and state courts
• In-person and remote mediation

Confidentiality, Privilege, and Mediator Impartiality

• Confidentiality in mediation
• Federal Rule of Evidence 408 and settlement communications
• Confidentiality and privilege involving the mediator
• Mediator impartiality
• Related practical and ethical considerations

Preparing for Mediation: Advocate and Mediator Perspectives

• Identifying the client’s goals and alternatives to settlement
• Understanding the opposing party’s goals and alternatives
• Learning about the mediator
• Preparing the client and planning for the mediation day
• Written and oral mediation statements
• Pre-mediation calls and communications

Mediation Day: Strategy, Negotiation, and Breaking an Impasse

• Determining who should attend
• Opening statements and structuring the mediation day
• Managing settlement movement
• Addressing emotions during mediation
• Navigating separate rooms and caucuses
• Mediation tools and techniques
• Approaches to impasse, including brackets
• Determining when and how to conclude the mediation

Reaching and Documenting an Enforceable Agreement

• When an agreement reached during mediation becomes enforceable
• Mutual assent and material settlement terms
• The role of state contract law
• Informal agreements and later formal documentation
• Judicial and advocate perspectives on documenting the agreement

Key Settlement Terms

• Payment provisions, penalties, and tax treatment
• Release language
• Required statutory provisions
• Non-monetary terms, including confidentiality, non-disparagement, and restrictive covenants
• Enforcement provisions, including venue, forum selection, attorneys’ fees, interest, and liquidated damages

Date/Time/Location

📅 Live Webinar

Date:

• Tuesday, December 1, 2026

🕐  Time:

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central Time

You’ll receive your login instructions and program materials approximately one week before the seminar. Be sure to check your inbox (and spam folder), and add info@pincusproed.com to your contacts to ensure delivery.

Testimonials

This is a new program, therefore we do not yet have testimonials for this specific program. However, both Kristen Prinz and Amit Bindra have spoken at our programs, to rave reviews, just a few of which are listed below.

Kristen E. Prinz, Esq.

• Very informed in this area.
• Ms. Prinz provided valuable insight into how to effectively handle potentially contentious depositions.
• Excellent presenter. Her advice was very candid & to the point. I felt like she was giving me advice you usually only get once you’re hired somewhere & they finally “give it to you straight.”
• Very thorough.
• Depositions are also among the list of topics I did not learn much about during law school. Great to hear how Kristin uses them strategically and to lock in witness testimony.
• Helpful advice about a topic that is not usually taught in law school.
• Knowledgeable about the topics and had a lot of real world experience/tips to add.
• She was very knowledgeable about how to handle difficult witnesses. Being able to hear some of her anecdotes was eye-opening as well.
• Wonderfully organized, great presentation style for this format, sharp and informative.
• Excellent depth of the content and application to real-life problems. It made the lesson meaningful and far more helpful.
• Excellent advice about managing folks who are difficult, especially the advice regarding both a difficult witness and a difficult opposing counsel on a matter.
• Great job going into depth on the advice and the slides and the mock depositions were very helpful.

Amit S. Bindra, Esq.

• Really prepared, great content and comments.
• Very helpful with information on the motions practice.

Faculty

Hon. Brian Weinthal
Chief Administrative Law Judge
Illinois Human Rights Commission

Hon. Brian Weinthal joined the Illinois Human Rights Commission as the Chief Administrative Law Judge in February of 2022. Prior to serving as Chief Administrative Law Judge, Mr. Weinthal spent nearly twenty years in private practice, appearing as a litigator in both commercial and employment cases in courts around the country. Although he has extensive experience trying cases as a "first-chair" lawyer, Chief Judge Weinthal is also a trained advocate who previously represented clients at a broad range of alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") proceedings, including both mediations and arbitrations. He is a member of the bars of Illinois, California, and the District of Columbia (where he previously served as a mediator for the D.C. Superior Court). Before working in private practice, Judge Weinthal spent six years on active military duty with the United States Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). Eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Judge Weinthal defended clients at contested court-martials involving allegations of inchoate, pecuniary, and violent crimes. As his final duty with the U.S. Navy, Judge Weinthal served as prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions—the litigating unit responsible for indicting suspected terrorists confined by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Chief Judge Weinthal received his law degree from Northwestern University, with a concentration in "Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution." He also holds an advanced law degree (an LL.M.) in "Litigation and Dispute Resolution" from the George Washington University School of Law. Judge Weinthal is admitted to the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and was previously awarded several high honors by the United States military, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Chief Judge Weinthal is a strong proponent of personal relationships and mentoring, and a staunch advocate of greater diversity and equality in all settings.

Amit Bindra is a partner at the The Prinz Law Firm, P.C. with extensive experience in employment litigation, business counseling, and negotiations. His successful representation of both individuals and businesses has afforded him a comprehensive understanding of employment issues and has positioned him as an effective and insightful arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. Amit is a co-host of the Employee to Lawyer podcast for NELA Illinois and previously served as an adjunct law professor of appellate writing and oral advocacy at Loyola University Chicago.

Amit has extensive experience advising C-suite executives, physicians, and hedge fund managers on a variety of employment matters, including negotiating employment and separation agreements. He also advises businesses and executives at start-ups, mid-market businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, privately-held companies, and in the cannabis industry to find creative and pragmatic solutions to their legal challenges. Various media outlets have quoted Amit regarding non-compete and other employment law matters.

In addition to providing business counseling and executive career counseling, Amit’s work largely focuses on non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, arbitration agreements, trade secret disputes, wage and hour claims, and employment discrimination and whistleblower claims. Amit has also successfully worked on several appeals in Illinois and Indiana.

Amit was also one of the lead architects and drafters of an amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act that significantly reformed how non-compete and non-solicit agreements are litigated in the State of Illinois. Amit testified in support of the law and helped bring together a bipartisan coalition of support from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and other union groups, the Attorney General’s Office, and NELA-IL. As a result, the amendment passed with unanimous support in the Illinois legislature in 2021. The new law will improve employee mobility while providing clarity for businesses and workers.

Amit completed the Certificate Program in Mediation Skills Training from the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies. Additionally, he serves as an arbitrator through the American Arbitration Association. As a neutral third-party arbitrator, parties choose Amit based on his unique experience, reputation, and full perspective.

In 2021, Crain’s Chicago Business recognized Amit in its list of "Notable Rising Stars in the Law." Amit was named an Illinois Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine (a designation reserved for less than 2.5% of attorneys), received the Advocate designation from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, and completed the Crain’s Leadership Training in 2019. He regularly provides continuing legal education for other attorneys, assists executives in developing stronger negotiation skills, and is frequently invited on podcasts to discuss various legal topics.

Amit is a member of numerous professional organizations. He is a board member of NELA/Illinois, is a board member of Chicago Debates, serves on the Legislative Committee of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Chicago chapter, and is heavily involved with the ABA’s Labor and Employment Section and the Section’s EEO Committee.

Amit graduated from DePaul University College of Law with a certificate in business law. During law school, he was the Executive Editor of the DePaul Business and Commercial Law Journal, and he received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Civil Litigation Strategy. Amit received his undergraduate degree in International Relations from the James Madison College at Michigan State University. While in college, he was a competitive debater for the nationally ranked MSU debate team and worked for U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Outside of the office, Amit is an avid runner and has run several full and half marathons.

Kristen Prinz is an employment lawyer, business counselor, and founder of The Prinz Law Firm.

Ms. Prinz represents physicians, lawyers, senior executives, and small business owners in matters ranging from employment agreements and non-competes to complex employment disputes. She is passionate about advocating for her clients’ interests and helping them achieve outcomes consistent with their professional goals.

Ms. Prinz has litigated employment disputes before state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level, and before administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Cook County Human Rights Commission. She also has experience representing clients in arbitration proceedings.

As a business counselor, Ms. Prinz provides business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals with innovative and cost-effective solutions to their legal and operational problems, enabling them to fully realize their potential. She has leveraged her litigation and culture management experience to guide clients in implementing employment best practices, effectively training staff, and creating a productive workplace culture.

Ms. Prinz is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association, and is Chair of the Nominating Committee for The International Women’s Forum.

Ms. Prinz was selected for inclusion in Crain’s Chicago Business’ List of 50 Most Influential Female Attorneys, and has been named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, as well as a Super Lawyer for 2019. Kristen received her J.D. with honors from IIT Chicago Kent College of Law and a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa.

Fees

Pre-order now and save $25 on your purchase with the Early Bird Rate!* Early Bird Expires September 30th!
(discount will be applied automatically at check out)

Fees & Format Options – Live Webinar

🎓 Registration Fees (Per Person)

💼 Standard Individual Registration

• Early Bird Rate: $234
• Standard Rate: $259

👥 Group Rate (2+ from same firm/agency)

• Early Bird Rate: $224
• Standard Group Rate: $249 per person
  All attendees must pre-register together.

🏛️ Government / Legal Aid Attorneys**

• Early Bird Rate: $214
• Standard Rate: $239

📚 Law Students / Paralegals*

• Early Bird Rate: $204
• Standard Rate: $229

📦 Pre-Order the Recording (Attendee-Only Special)

When registering for the live webinar, you can pre-order the Recorded Package (Download or OnDemand) for just $99.

This special rate is only available to registered attendees for their own use.

📩 Program Materials & Access

• A PDF copy of the seminar handbook will be emailed to you a few days before the program.
• We’ll also send your login instructions and any exercises approximately one week prior.
• Please check your spam folder and add info@pincusproed.com to your contacts.

💼 Group Access & Licensing (Live or OnDemand)

Discounted rates are available for 3–4 attorneys from the same organization.

Licenses are also available for firms or agencies with 5+ attorneys who wish to attend live or access the OnDemand recording.

To inquire or purchase group access:
📧 info@pincusproed.com | ☎ (877) 858-3848

⚠️ *Important Notes

• Registration fees are per person, unless a group license is purchased.
• Law Student Rate is for currently enrolled law students only. Please be prepared to provide student ID after registering via email.
• Legal Aid Rate applies only to attorneys employed full-time by legal aid or nonprofit organizations.
  

  It does not apply to private firm attorneys volunteering time, taking pro bono cases, or serving on nonprofit boards.

🎓 Scholarships for Legal Aid Attorneys

Full or partial scholarships may be available for a limited number of legal aid attorneys.

Please contact us to inquire:
📧 info@pincusproed.com | ☎ (877) 858-3848

CLE Credits

🎓 CLE Credit Information

Illinois: 
General CLE: This program is pending CLE approval in Illinois.

California:
General CLE: Approved for 1.5 General CLE credits.

New York:
This program is eligible for 1.5 General CLE credits under New York’s Approved Jurisdiction policy.
Pincus Professional Education is a California Accredited Provider, and California is an approved jurisdiction under Section 6 of the New York State CLE Board Regulations and Guidelines.

🌎 Other States

CLE credit is officially approved in the states listed above.
If you practice in a different state, we’re happy to help—upon request, we will provide the materials and information you need to apply for CLE credit on your own. Many of our past attendees have successfully obtained credit in other jurisdictions.

To request assistance:
📧 info@pincusproed.com | ☎ (877) 858-3848