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About Douglas J. Witten

Douglas J. Witten, Esq., principal of Innovative ADR International LLC, is a mediator and arbitrator who has 28+ years of legal experience and has mediated 1500+ cases since becoming a registered neutral in 2003. Doug offers dispute resolution services, in English and Spanish, across areas including healthcare, workplace injuries, and commercial matters. He previously practiced law in the healthcare and corporate departments of global firms King & Spalding LLP and Long, Aldridge & Norman LLP (n/k/a Dentons), and he also served Georgia’s workers’ compensation agency in management roles such as Deputy Director and Chief Mediator of the ADR Division, Appellate Division Director, and Attorney General Liaison.

Doug has been a panel neutral for the American Health Law Association (AHLA), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services.

He is actively involved in the Dispute Resolution (DR) Sections of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia and has served, among other roles, as Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association DR Section and both Secretary and Treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia DR Section. In 2021, Doug was inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, an invitation-only professional association of ADR professionals distinguished by their hands-on experience in the field of civil and commercial conflict resolution. Since 2023, Thomson Reuters has selected Doug for inclusion in the prestigious Georgia “Super Lawyers” list for Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Doug has written extensively on healthcare, negotiation, mediation, and related dispute resolution topics. His publications include The Stoic Negotiator™, Mediation Essentials Toolkit: A Practitioner’s Emergency Survival Guide (2021), and Time-Tested: The Stoic Negotiator’s Five Keys for the Modern Deal (2024).

Highlights & Accomplishments

Doug Witten has legal, dispute resolution, and educational credentials that set him apart:

  • Big Law background: practiced healthcare and corporate law at two of the world’s largest international firms
  • Government experience: served Georgia’s workers’ compensation agency in dispute resolution, legal and supervisory roles, responsible for drafting and managing issuance of hundreds of administrative awards and orders
  • Registered neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution since 2003
  • Extensively trained in mediation, arbitration, online dispute resolution (ODR), and resolution of medical and healthcare matters
  • Founded Innovative ADR International LLC in 2015
  • Registered arbitrator since 2017
  • Mediated 1500+ cases to date
  • Approximately ⅔ of mediated cases involve at least one Spanish-speaking party
  • Recent arbitration highlights include the determination of millions of dollars in dispute
  • Civil Mediation Training, Resolution Resources Corporation (2003)
  • AHLA: Advanced Mediation Training (2011)
  • AHLA Health Care Arbitration (2016)
  • Arbitration Training, Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service (2016)
  • Divorce Mediation Training, Justice Center of Atlanta (2017)
  • Domestic Relations Mediation Practicum, Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service (2017)
  • AAA Healthcare Dispute Resolution Innovation and Strategy Conference (2018)
  • Mediating Online Disputes, Silicon Valley Summer Institute (2019)
  • Learn to Mediate Online (2020)
  • FINRA Dispute Resolution: Basic Arbitrator Training Program (2021)
  • BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services
  • American Health Law Association (AHLA)
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
  • Gwinnett County, Georgia
  • American Bar Association
  • American Health Law Association (Chair, Vice Chair, Board Member, ADR Affinity Group)
  • Atlanta Bar Association (Vice Chair, Chair-elect, Board Member, Dispute Resolution Section)
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
  • Foro Internacional de Mediadores Profesionales
  • Georgia Annual ADR Institute & Neutrals’ Conference
  • Georgia Academy of Mediators & Arbitrators
  • Georgia Hispanic Bar Association
  • Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, Supreme Court of Georgia
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
  • International Council for Online Dispute Resolution
  • National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
  • ODR Latinoamérica
  • State Bar of Georgia
  • The Florida Bar
  • Nominee, Daily Report ALM “Best Of” Survey, “Individual Mediator/Arbitrator” Category (2020-21)
  • Certificate Recipient, Georgia Leadership Insitute, “Leading Others” (2009)
  • Recipient, Governor’s Faithful Service Award (2008 & 2013)
  • Winner, First Prize, AHLA Year-in-Review Case Summaries Contest (2002)
  • Emory University Goizueta Business School (B.B.A.)
  • University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (visiting student)
  • New York University School of Law (J.D.)
  • University of Houston Law Center (LL.M.)