Ohio Mediator

John Alton serves as a mediator throughout Ohio at the request of or approval by defense lawyers, hospitals, insurance companies, plaintiff lawyers and corporations. Venues include Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Zanesville, Athens, Mansfield and Lancaster.

Due to social distancing guidelines associated with the COVID-19 crisis, John Alton also provides the option of a “virtual mediation” that simulates a traditional mediation as closely as possible. Each party and its counsel are placed in virtual rooms. The technology platform put into place provides for privacy and confidentiality in every “virtual room”.

Many cases involve serious injury or wrongful death due to alleged medical malpractice, product liability, defective medical device, premises liability, intentional tort or political subdivision liability. John Alton has also mediated 1983 actions, legal malpractice, negligent security, CSPA, and employment cases.

More than 50 medical malpractice, legal malpractice and property and casualty insurance companies and hospitals have requested or approved John Alton to mediate disputed claims.

John Alton’s background of 40% defense and 60% plaintiff for more than four decades along with more than 60 trials to verdict (two-thirds defense and one-third plaintiff) enable him to provide a balanced perspective at mediations. Mr. Alton is often available as a mediator on short notice.

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Why John Alton?

John Alton serves as a mediator throughout Ohio at the request of defense lawyers, hospitals, insurance companies, plaintiff lawyers and corporations. Venues include Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Zanesville, Athens, Mansfield and Lancaster.

Among John Alton’s distinctions and honors are:

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED NEUTRALS (2021- PRESENT)

America’s premier invitation-only association for civil/commercial mediators and arbitrators, John was nominated by his peers in 2020 to join this illustrious collegial group.

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TRIAL LAWYERS (2000- PRESENT)

The American College of Trial Lawyers is the most exclusive trial lawyer organization in the country and is limited to no more than 1% of the lawyers in any state. In Ohio only .3 of 1% of lawyers are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers. To be accepted, one must be nominated and approved at the local, state and national levels of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

AMERICAN BOARD OF TRIAL ADVOCATES (1996- PRESENT)

John Alton became a member only two years after switching sides to become a plaintiffs’ attorney. ABOTA is a national trial lawyer organization comprised of 50% plaintiffs’ lawyers and 50% defense lawyers.

MARTINDALE HUBBELL BAR REGISTER OF PREEMINENT LAWYERS (1992- PRESENT)

Since 1985, John Alton’s peers have rated his legal ability and ethics the highest level – AV. In 1992 Martindale Hubbell also recognized John Alton as a preeminent lawyer in medical malpractice – a very narrow subspecialty of personal injury law.

OHIO SUPER LAWYERS (2004- PRESENT)

For the past 17 years, John Alton has been rated a Super Lawyer in Medical Malpractice.

BEST LAWYERS (2005- PRESENT)

Since 2005 John Alton has been recognized by Best Lawyers in medical malpractice, product liability and personal injury. In 2013 John Alton was recognized at the Tier 1 level in each of those areas of concentration. John Alton was voted Professional Malpractice Lawyer of the Year for 2020.


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