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In a move designed to expand its products for online dispute resolution, the American Arbitration Association has acquired ODR.com, a company that builds ODR systems, and its parent company, Resourceful Internet Solutions Inc. (RIS), which also owns Mediate.com, Arbitrate.com and Ombuds.org.
The companies said that the immediate focus of the alliance will be on expanding AAA’s mediation services by developing a suite of ODR products.
“Demand for ODR is growing rapidly worldwide, and working with the AAA will keep us on the cutting edge,” said RIS CEO Colin Rule. “Our shared goal is to make ADR an accessible choice for everyone, and this alliance will enable us to achieve that goal at an unprecedented level.”
The acquisition comes 18 months after the AAA, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services in the world, named Bridget Mary McCormack, the former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, as its president and chief executive officer.
As I noted in January when McCormack was a guest on my LawNext podcast, she is credited with having “supercharged” the AAA’s innovation efforts – particularly with regard to its adoption of generative AI.
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