Two Veterans of Litigation and Mediation Join to Create New Firm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (September 22, 2021) – Lawyers in the Midwest soon will have more options to mediate employment litigation and other disputes. Founded by two trial-tested litigators, Eischens + Vogel Mediation Solutions will launch on November 1.

The new business marks an evolution for Eischens Mediation Services (EMS), which was founded by Joseph Eischens in 2016. For the past five years, EMS has provided mediation services in civil litigation matters nationwide.

With the addition of David Vogel, the firm adds not just capacity, but a complementary perspective. Before starting EMS, Eischens focused his private legal practice on plaintiffs’ litigation, representing employees in all phases of employment and other disputes. Vogel, currently a partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, specializes in employment defense work; he has spent more than two decades defending some of the nation’s largest companies in litigation across the United States.

Because the founders of Eischens + Vogel Mediation Solutions have nearly 50 years of collective experience in the practice of law, Eischens said they can offer an empathetic and efficient approach to dispute resolution.

“We have been in the trenches,” he said. “We understand the pressures inherent in managing risks, budgets, stress and client expectations, and we are able to apply this knowledge to provide cost-effective problem-solving. We believe this is an advantage over other neutrals, who may not have direct experience managing both caseloads and clients, and carrying matters through the discovery process and trial.”

Eischens + Vogel Mediation Solutions will mediate a number of dispute types, among them:

• Employment
• Labor law
• Wage and hour
• Class and collective action
• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Retaliation
• Breach of contract
• Personal injury

Before joining to create Eischens + Vogel Mediation Solutions, the founders had years of professional interaction. First, they were litigation adversaries; later, Eischens mediated several disputes for which Vogel was defense counsel.

Even on opposite sides of a matter, Vogel said the two developed strong rapport and respect.

“For years, I trusted Joe to mediate my cases because I knew he was fair, honest and forthright,” Vogel said. “I’m excited to join him because I know we share a vision for our firm and a commitment to resolve disputes with creativity, strategy, empathy and respect.”

At Eischens + Vogel Mediation Solutions, the principals will be joined by Joe Knittig, CEO of The Global Orphan Project and part-time mediator, and Angie Fisher, who will serve as office administrator. Both Knittig and Fisher now serve at EMS.

More information, including a mediation scheduling tool, is available at jkemediation.com.