This podcast conversation goes into a corner of the legal industry that quietly runs on trust, process control, and confidentiality: alternative dispute resolution. With this topic on the agenda, it's a pleasure to welcome to the Legal Tech StartUp Focus podcast, Gary Doernhoefer, founder of ADR Notable (https://www.adrnotable.com).

Gary brings the perspective of a longtime in-house counsel, to what mediators and arbitrators actually do day-to-day, and also to the question of why “case management software” built for law firm advocacy often misses the mark for neutrals. Gary talks about several important ADR-related topics: the real workflow pain, the need to schedule across multiple parties, the necessity of secure communications, the management of curated document sets, the importance of structured note-taking, and the surprisingly tricky problem of splitting invoices between parties.

In addition to discussing ADR, Gary shares candid advice for legal tech startup leaders. Here, Gary focuses on timing and product-market fit, especially when you have to spend too long explaining why buyers need the tool in the first place. 

If you care about mediation software, arbitration platforms, and ADR case management, you’ll leave this podcast episode with practical insight and a clearer lens on what “value” for ADR really means.