William ("Bill") Hardie is a full-time mediator and arbitrator specializing in complex business and commercial matters, employment disputes, personal injury and wrongful death claims. Other areas of emphasis include professional negligence, partnership dissolution, construction and family and probate matters.

Drawing from over 25 years of civil litigation experience on both the plaintiff’s and defendant’s side, Bill Hardie’s modus operandi in dispute resolution proceedings is to talk candidly with the parties and their attorneys regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their respective cases…and what they might expect if settlement is not reached. He goes beyond simply trying to help the parties reach a mutually agreeable “settlement number” and seeks to find ways to uncover hidden value for both parties at little cost to the other. Bill Hardie views dispute resolution proceedings as a forum in which to not only resolve the current dispute but to attempt to put each of the parties in an even more favorable position than before the dispute arose, thereby salvaging relationships where feasible.

Bill Hardie resides with his wife, Jane, in El Paso, Texas. When not trying to coax his golden retriever back into the house, he enjoys cooking, traveling, golf and relaxing in the cool mountain air of Ruidoso, New Mexico.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Hardie Mediation, El Paso, Texas (2001 to present)
• Hardie & Baxter, P.C., El Paso, Texas (1991-2001)
• Hardie / Sergent, P.C., El Paso, Texas (1977-1991)
• Assistant United States Attorney, Western District of Texas, El Paso, Texas (1973-1977)

EDUCATION

• University of Houston, J.D. (1973)
• The University of Texas at Austin, B.B.A. in Finance (1970)
• The College of William and Mary (1965-1966)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas
• US District Courts for the Western, Northern and Southern Districts
• 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals

RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS

• “Mediator of the Year,” El Paso County Bar Association (2001-2002; 2005-2006)
• Accredited by the Conflict Resolution Training Institute, South Plains Resolution Center, Texas Tech University
• Qualified as “Senior Member” (over 300 mediations) by Mediate.com
• AV rating by Martindale Hubbell

MEMBERSHIPS

• ADR Section of the State Bar of Texas
• Association of Attorney Mediators
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Past member

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• “Effective and Persuasive Communication in the Mediation Process,” State Bar of Texas CLE
• “Enforcement of Mediation Agreements,” El Paso County Bar Association

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (Past and Present)

• Board of Directors, Alternative House, Inc.
• Board of Directors, El Paso County Housing Authority
• Board of Directors, American Heart Association of El Paso
• Member, “Texans’ War on Drugs” Governor’s Committee
• Member, Public Servants Standards of Conduct Advisory Committee (Ethics Commission of Texas)
• Member, Rotary Club of West El Paso