Kenneth J. Balkan, Esq. has been a mediator and arbitrator for the past 20 years. As a neutral and legal practitioner, he has handled a wide variety of matters including insurance coverage, complex business and partnership disputes, multi-party tort litigation, legal fee issues and professional liability lawsuits.

Mr. Balkan was an early advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution. He was appointed as an Early Neutral Evaluator by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York during the initial stages of its court-annexed ADR procedure where he mediated a variety of tort, commercial and contract disputes. He presently serves on the Mediation Panel in the United States District Courts for both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He is also regularly appointed as sole or lead arbitrator on arbitration panels for the 10th Judicial District of Nassau County, Part 137 Attorney/Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program, and was selected as a Court Appointed Referee in a complex corporate family dispute in which he addressed interim disputes while shepherding the parties through a satisfactory corporate sale.

Mr. Balkan has received high praise from counsel from both sides of the bar who have appeared before him at mediations and arbitrations. He has been described as “an extraordinary, capable mediator”, “his considerable experience in legal fee disputes was masterful in bringing parties to a settlement agreement”, “thorough and well-prepared”, “extremely fair and unbiased and was able to neutrally point out each party’s strong and weak points of their case.”

As both a litigator and mediator, Mr. Balkan has a wealth of experience handling, counseling, supervising, and mediating complex claims and lawsuits throughout the United States including matters involving commercial disputes, construction accidents, corporate management agreements, disability and life insurance claims, franchise acquisition, legal fee disputes, licensing issues, partnership disputes, professional liability and disciplinary proceedings, property damage, real estate and foreclosure issues, receivership claims, subrogation, surety bond indemnification, and wrongful termination of employment.

Mr. Balkan was a founding and managing partner of L’Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. and has been in the position of Counsel to the Firm since 1999. He has been awarded an AV Preeminent Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubble, the highest rating available, and a distinction given only to those possessing the highest ethical standards and professional ability. Mr. Balkan has taught Lawyers’ Ethics as a Special Professor of Law as part of the Adjunct Faculty of the Hofstra University School of Law since 2008. In addition to having authored articles on professional liability, Mr. Balkan has lectured at the New York State Bar Association and Nassau County Bar Association on Ethics & Professionalism and Professional Liability. He also served as the former Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Bar Association of Nassau County.

Mr. Balkan has handled matters in all the counties and venues in the metropolitan area including New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counties, and is available to hear case throughout the N.Y. Metro area and elsewhere.