This Feedback Digest is based on 6 Feedbacks in more than 6 Mediations as of August 27, 2013. Parties and counsel who have used Patrick Burns would overwhelmingly use his services again and would, without hesitation, recommend him to others. Typical of the comments reflecting Mr. Burns’ acceptability are: (i) He communicates well with the parties, understands and adheres to the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights’ (for which he is a volunteer mediator) policies regarding ADR, and is able to adjust his mediation style to fit the needs of the mediation. Mr. Burns is a great mediator. The Department looks forward to working with him in the future; (ii) Mr. Burns stayed on task, got results, and his costs were reasonable; (iii) Mr. Burns will remain a highly successful and sought-after mediator in all types of commercial disputes; and (iv) Patrick is a very adept, insightful, creative, objective and personable mediator who knows how to help parties address and seek to resolve the important issues in their disputes, who would otherwise be unable to address those issues constructively. I am very pleased to have been able to have worked again with Patrick, and I plan to continue to request and recommend him and his services at every opportunity. Mr. Burns’ mediation skills and abilities are rated as highly effective. Typical of feedback received in this regard are: (i) Mr. Burns is able to effectively communite with parties involved - he is able to listen and be realistic with the parties when the situation calls for it. He is also able to let the parties speak and actively listen to the parties; (ii) Mr. Burns invested considerable time, effort, and skill in bringing about a settlement despite serious obstacles that made the prospect of settlement highly unlikely prior to the mediation. He's calm, patient, attentive both to the facts of the dispute and the personal dynamics at work between the parties. He's eager to take up the challenge of dispute resoluation under circumstances in which other neutrals might toss up their hands and walk away; (iii) His patience and willingness to take up the challenge of bringing together parties who had been at loggerheads for more than a year made a decisive difference in the outcome; and (iv) Patrick’s skills and abilities as a mediator are unexcelled. I have worked with many mediators over the years, and Patrick is clearly amongst the top three, if not the very best of them. He has objectivity, empathy, deep insight into each side’s concerns, issues and personality traits, creativity, adroit handling of each party’s personal issues, and more. Mr. Burns is also highly regarded for his ability to effect a positive outcome. For example, one provider of feedback noted that the value in his mediation process was his client's ability to achieve his primary goals, while also making acceptable concessions to the other side. The other side had not been willing to do what the parties ultimately agreed upon at the mediation. Mr. Burns made the outcome possible because he was sensitive to the business concerns of both parties, while, at the same time, pointing out to each side the benefits of the settlement. Another provider of feedback noted that Patrick was able to help the parties secure the best result possible given the parties involved and their respective issues and personalities. Costs were widely reported as reasonable in the context of the value of the disputes mediated by Mr. Burns, and in general a very high degree of satisfaction was reported. No reportable negative comments have been received since Mr. Burns’ designation as an IMI Certified Mediator.

This feedback digest was last updated 27 August 2013.