Visual Law Services Are Worth a Thousand Words—And Big Money
April 29, 2014

To eliminate the guesswork from settlement negotiations, San Antonio, Texas, mediator Don Philbin developed Picture It Settled,...

Texas’ 4th COA Compels Arbitration After Two Years of Discovery Where Party Fails to Offer Evidence of Prejudice
February 14, 2014

Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals has ordered two companies to arbitrate a contract dispute related to the construction of airplane hangars in Mexico.  In IBS Asset Liquidations LLC v. Servicios Multiples Del NorteSA de CV, No. 04-13-00273-CV (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2013), IBS Asset Liquidations LLC, formerly known as Icon Building Systems, LLC, (“Icon”) agreed to design and build an airplane hangar for Servicios Multiples Del Norte SA de CV (“Servicios”).  As part of the agreement,...

Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals Orders Local Firefighters to Arbitrate Benefits Dispute With City of San Antonio
November 4, 2013

Texas’ Fourth District in San Antonio has held that an arbitration provision included in a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) requires a local firefighter’s union to engage in arbitration over a health insurance benefits dispute.  In The City of San Antonio v. International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 624, No. 04-CV-00783-CV (October 2, 2013), the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 624 (the “Union”) filed a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio on behalf...

Schultz v. Medina Valley ISD: When Cultures and Beliefs Collide (Or How Air Conditioning Changed Texas)
October 9, 2013

Schultz v. Medina Valley ISD: When Cultures and Beliefs Collide (Or How Air Conditioning Changed Texas) By Hon. Fred Biery In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s character, Scout, observed the Christian Women’s Missionary Society speaking intolerantly of local Negroes, but nevertheless collected money for missionaries to bring salvation to people of the same race in Africa. Seeing this hypocrisy, Scout said, “Humans are a peculiar lot.” In this case, the Court also wrote in the third...

U.S. Chamber Commerce: San Antonio a Top ‘Enterprising City’
September 22, 2013

A new national report lists San Antonio among seven cities singled out as “Enterprising Cities,” citing the city’s strong civic leadership and fiscal management and its pro-business and jobs economic development strategies. The report, “Enterprising Cities — A Force for American Prosperity,” was commissioned by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Chamber of Commerce and released Friday morning here by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Download the full report here [3 MB PDF]. At...

Best Lawyers in America® Names Don Philbin 2014 Mediation Lawyer of the Year
August 21, 2013

Attorney-Mediator Don Philbin was recently selected as 2014 "Lawyer of the Year" for Mediation in the San Antonio area. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130820/PH66194-a) (Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130820/PH66194LOGO-b) Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the "Lawyer of the Year," making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received...

San Antonio Attorney-Mediator Don Philbin Elected 2014 Chair of the State Bar of Texas ADR Section
June 26, 2013

Creator of Picture It Settled also relisted in the International Who's Who of Commercial Mediation, Texas Super Lawyers, the Best Lawyers in America, and San Antonio's "Best Lawyers" SAN ANTONIO, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney-Mediator Don Philbin was elected Chair of the State Bar of Texas ADR Section for the 2014--15 year at its Annual Meeting last week in Dallas. The State Bar of Texas is the fifth largest organization of lawyers in the United States. Its ADR Section is one of the oldest...