Margarita Echevarria

Independent Arbitrator and Mediator at Metropolitan New York/New Jersey Area

Independent Arbitrator and mediator in private practice with memberships on the FINRA: Commercial Arbitration, American Arbitration Association: Commercial Panelist, CPR Institute, Federal Courts (USDC-NJ, ED-NY (Arb. Panel), & SDNY Mediation, New Jersey Superior Court Civil Mediation (R.1:40) & New York Commercial panels (NYC, Westchester & Rockland). With more than 25 years experience in the financial services industry, I have been an in-house counsel and, or Chief Compliance Officer in New York and New Jersey. Formerly Vice President/In-house counsel for Insurance firms experienced in handling Litigation, Claims issues, Regulatory policy, Contract drafting, Product development and Corporate secretarial assignments. As a Senior Compliance Officer developed and implemented comprehensive compliance programs (including Federal Reserve Board requirements), advised on product development, managed regulatory relations, and drafted risk mitigating policies and corporate governance procedures. Green Belt in Six Sigma from GE. Past adjunct faculty member at Seton Hall Law School (NJ) for Insurance Law.

Commercial Arbitrator and Mediator with experience in contractual/business disputes, business loans, insurance/brokerage commission and interpleader disputes, construction, investment management, real property, employment/wages, and personal injury (including asbestos) disputes. Read and Speak Spanish.

Professional associations include: American Bar Association (Section on Dispute Resolution), Women in Dispute Resolution: Co-chair of Regional Chairs Committee; New York State Bar Association (Section on Dispute Resolution); Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Member, Arbitration Committee/Past Member, Mediation Committee, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey; Member, Justice Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for ADR: Scholarship Committee; Women Owned Law-NY; and, NJ Association of Professional Mediators: Secretary & Member, Diversity Committee.

Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey: B.A. & J.D.; Admitted to practice in New Jersey & New York.

My Articles

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Changing the Face of Alternative Dispute Resolution

Increasing diversity in the legal profession as a whole has been a long-held goal, yet little attention has been paid to diversity in alternative dispute resolution. By using business concepts such as Six Sigma, in-house lawyers can evaluate how well their companies are meeting diversity goals with regard to ADR.