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Miles Mediation & Arbitration, one of the fastest growing ADR providers in the country, first opened its Houston office at the Caroline Center in August 2024. Recently Miles moved to a new office location at 5300 Memorial Drive. The move reflects the continued growth of its presence there.
We recently spoke with two of Miles’ Houston panelists, Ron Bankston and Louis Selig, about the new office and recent trends in mediation. Both Bankston and Selig are well-known Houston neutrals.
The Impact of Miles’ New Office
Ron Bankston says the move is a positive development for his clients. “The new location is designed to be more accessible, more comfortable, and better equipped to handle complex, multi-party mediations,” he says. “Convenience matters in mediation — easy access, adequate parking, and well-designed conference space all help reduce friction on a day when emotions and stakes can already be high.
“Our new office will enhance the overall experience for clients, lawyers, and insurers by providing a professional environment that supports focused negotiation, confidentiality, and efficiency,” Bankston adds. “At the end of the day, anything that helps the parties stay engaged and productive ultimately helps move cases toward resolution.”
“A well-designed, accessible space matters more than people sometimes realize,” agrees Selig. “When parties are comfortable, logistics are smooth, and confidentiality is assured, it allows everyone to focus on resolving the dispute rather than managing distractions … the new location enhances the overall mediation experience — particularly for complex, multi-party cases that require thoughtful space planning and flexibility. Anything that supports efficiency, professionalism, and a calm environment ultimately supports better outcomes.”
The Importance of Developing a Practice Niche
Both Bankston and Selig have developed practice niches that let them serve clients more effectively.
Bankston primarily mediates personal injury and wrongful death matters, including automobile accidents, trucking cases, premises liability, and catastrophic injury claims. He also handles a significant number of complex cases involving brain injuries, mass casualty events, commercial disputes, insurance coverage, construction, and professional liability.
Selig has mediated more than 5,000 cases involving a wide range of disputes, including complex commercial matters; maritime law collisions, allisions, and cargo claims; high-stakes personal injury and death claims; insurance disputes, and cases involving multiple parties and layered liability issues. Many of these matters involve significant exposure and require careful management of competing interests.
Developing Legal Trends
A number of trends affect the cases that each of them handle. “One ongoing trend I’m seeing is the increasing complexity of damages presentations — particularly in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases,” says Bankston. “Medical costs, life-care planning, and future economic damages are more sophisticated than ever, which can widen the gap between the parties early on. At the same time, defense and insurance carriers are scrutinizing causation and medical necessity much more closely.”
“As the process of mediation has evolved, and concurrently, parties’ increasing familiarity with it, the process itself has become more challenging,” says Selig. “Whereas before the parties were largely deferential to the mediator, sophisticated participants — especially in complex/multiparty/issue-intensive cases — now often arrive with “mediate the mediator” ideas as part of their negotiation agendas. To be effective, mediators must be attentive thereto when and where they arise.”
Mediation as a Go-To Option
Both mediation and arbitration have become popular options for resolving disputes in Houston.
“I’m also seeing an increase in multi-party mediations, particularly in trucking, construction, and mass-casualty matters,” says Bankston. “These cases require careful planning, patience, and structure, and they often benefit from mediators who have deep trial experience and understand how these cases play out in front of Houston juries.”
There’s also a growing interest in efficiency. “Lawyers and clients want mediations that are well-prepared, well-managed, and respectful of everyone’s time,” he adds. “That places a premium on preparation and on mediators who can keep the process moving without losing sight of the human dynamics involved.”
Selig adds, “With less complex/smaller value cases, parties’ familiarity with process has concomitantly reduced their patience for extended rounds of modest countermoves. Mediators must counteract this with techniques designed to accelerate progress to prompt participants to remain at the table actively bargaining.”
Miles’ Houston Panel
In addition to Bankston and Selig, Miles’ Houston panel includes Robins Brice, Wiley George, Gary McGowan, Hon. Mike Miller, Hon. Margaret Poissant, and Hon. Robert Schaffer. They will be working out of Miles’ new 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art office suite on the eighth floor of 5300 Memorial Drive.
For more information about Miles’ Houston panel or office, visit https://milesmediation.com/locations/houston/; call 713.396.5991; or email support@milesadr.com.