Valley Forge, Pa., April 2010 –  Paul Prestia and Harrie Samaras describe an enhanced decision tree methodology in their current article, “Beyond Decision Trees; Determining Aggregate Probabilities of Time, Cost, and Outcomes” published this month in Alternatives, a publication of CPR, International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. 

 

Their article describes an analytical tool that lawyers and corporate decision makers may use with conventional decision tree analysis to make more informed decisions before or during a filed case such as whether to litigate or settle a dispute.  The tool integrates factors such as interim cost and elapsed time for possible options in a decision tree analysis.  And it aggregates the probabilities of all possible ultimate outcomes to provide a more complete picture of the risk/reward possibilities associated with any option. 

 

Paul Prestia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of RatnerPrestia, is a long time proponent of decision tree analysis as a tool to facilitate litigation settlement, dispute resolution and mediation.  Harrie Samaras, formerly a shareholder in RatnerPrestia, heads her own law office, specializing in mediation and arbitration of disputes involving technology and intellectual property.

 

RatnerPrestia, with nearly a hundred employees and offices in Berwyn, Wilmington and Allentown, advises and represents a wide variety of national and international clients in all aspects of intellectual property law.  Its attorneys and patent agents combine their legal expertise with technical degrees, including many advanced degrees, in essentially all technical disciplines.  Many have extensive corporate and research experience as well.  For more information on the firm, please see www.RatnerPrestia.com.

 

Harrie Samaras, with extensive training in dispute resolution, is a frequent speaker and author on that subject.  Her practice includes serving as an arbitrator, mediator and special master and advising clients on the use of dispute resolution.  For more information, please see http://harriesamaras.com.