Arbitration and Mediation Services — Allyson Zerba PLLC Seattle WA

Private arbitration is an alternative to litigation — a binding process in which the parties present their case to a neutral decision-maker rather than a judge or jury. Allyson serves as arbitrator for civil, family, and employment matters, offering a process that is more efficient and flexible than court, without sacrificing rigor or fairness.

With 26 years of litigation experience across criminal, civil, and family law, Allyson brings to the arbitrator's role a thorough understanding of what attorneys and their clients need from the process: procedural competence, careful attention to the record, and decisions that are grounded in the law and the facts. Her clinical background adds a dimension that matters in high-conflict matters — the ability to manage the dynamics in the room without losing focus on the substance of the dispute.

Allyson conducts both binding and non-binding arbitrations and is available for single-arbitrator and panel proceedings. She is listed on the King County Superior Court Arbitration Panel and works with litigated and non-litigated matters throughout Washington State.

Mediation is a facilitated negotiation process in which a neutral helps parties work through their dispute toward a mutually acceptable resolution. Unlike arbitration, the outcome is determined by the parties themselves — the mediator's role is to create the conditions in which agreement becomes possible.

Allyson approaches mediation as both a litigator and a clinician. Her litigation background means she understands the legal landscape of the dispute — the risks, the costs, the realistic range of outcomes if the matter proceeds to trial. Her clinical training means she can see and work with what is actually happening between the parties: the communication patterns, the underlying interests, the emotional dynamics that positional negotiation tends to bypass rather than address.

She conducts both facilitative and evaluative mediation, adapting her approach to what the matter and the parties require. She works with litigated matters referred for mediation by counsel or the Court, as well as non-litigated disputes where the parties are seeking resolution before filing. Allyson is available for half-day and full-day sessions, as well as multi-session mediations for complex matters.