Richard P. Byrne, Esq. became a Mediator in the formative days of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). He honed and broadened his mediation skills over the years through experience and practice. Mr. Byrne has also served as an Arbitrator for many years. His keen ability to weigh facts and apply the law and/or applicable rules serves him well in handling a wide range of disputes. Mr. Byrne’s legal career of over 40 years brings an added dimension of expertise to the matters over which he presides. As a NAM Hearing Officer with more than 30 years of ADR experience, he is a well-respected professional with a reputation for bringing the most contentious disputes to a full and final resolution.

Mr. Byrne has successfully mediated issues in a wide variety of specialty areas, including commercial disputes, construction cases, employment discrimination claims, employment contract disputes, wage and hour/FLSA claims, complex personal injury and property damage claims, insurance and reinsurance matters, risk transfer disputes and life health, and disability claims. As an Arbitrator, he has presided over many commercial disputes, including construction claims, business and contract matters, as well as insurance coverage disputes.

Mr. Byrne has extensive experience in the construction field. As a young attorney in the early 1980s, he gained his first exposure to the field by working on the litigation which arose out of the original efforts to construct the Second Avenue subway. From there, he went on to represent architects and engineers in various settings where the design and construction of projects was the focus of suit. Mr. Byrne also represented an international contractor for some 15 years while he was actively practicing, assisting that client in the negotiation of their contracts and any contract-related disputes encountered. He has been serving as a Mediator and Arbitrator for over 30 years and doing so full-time now for close to 10 years. Mr. Byrne has served as a Neutral in hundreds of construction-related disputes and is well-versed in breach of contract actions, construction defect claims, delay and overrun disputes, claims of differing site conditions, as well as third-party property damage suits, among others. Critically, he is recognized for his understanding and experience in insurance coverage and with risk transfer which often are at the heart of a construction-related matter.

In 2013, Mr. Byrne was selected by Kenneth R. Feinberg, the former Administrator of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to assist in the mediation and resolution of Hurricane Sandy claims. He was also asked to join a sub-panel for the United States District Court to help resolve a backload of over 1,400 Hurricane Sandy lawsuits. Mr. Byrne is a member of the Mediation panels for both the United States District Court and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. In 2016, Mr. Byrne was appointed to serve on the Advisory Council to the ADR Department of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

In 2024, for the tenth year in a row, Mr. Byrne was named one of the Top Three Mediators in the United States by the National Law Journal “Best Of” survey. He was also ranked a Top Ten Mediator for the 10th consecutive year by the 2023 New York Law Journal “Best Of” survey. Additionally, he was voted a Top Three Mediator by the Corporate Counsel “Best Of” survey. Mr. Byrne was also named as a National Law Journal Alternative Dispute Resolution Champion, as part of a select group of only 46 neutrals nationwide. He has been awarded an A-V rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available, based on its peer review process and has consistently been recognized by his peers as a New York Metro Super Lawyer.

Richard Byrne is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the United States.