Sidney Kanazawa brings years of experience to LA court volunteer mediation program

Sidney K. Kanazawa believes the legal profession spends far too much time preparing for trials that will never happen.

After four decades as a trial lawyer and the past seven years working full time as a mediator and arbitrator through SK Law Mediation and Alternative Resolution Centers, Kanazawa has become a strong advocate for resolving disputes earlier, more collaboratively and with far less hostility. He now volunteers with the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Mediation Volunteer Panel, or MVP, a program created to help ease mounting civil caseloads by offering free mediation services to litigants.

"Currently, although 98% to 99% of all cases filed will be resolved by the parties' voluntary agreement - not by a court or jury determination - we feel compelled to go through all the preliminary steps leading to trial," Kanazawa responded to questions from the Daily Journal. "This is expensive and crazy."

Kanazawa said his views evolved gradually during his years as a litigator. Early in his career, he embraced the adversarial nature of trial work. Over time, however, he discovered he often accomplished more by building trust with opposing counsel than by treating them as enemies.

"Eventually, I saw that our real goal as lawyers is to build trust, not to be a zealous warrior who cannot be trusted," he wrote.

That philosophy now shapes nearly every aspect of his mediation practice. Kanazawa places heavy emphasis on small talk, open-ended questions, active listening and maintaining a collaborative tone early in mediation sessions. He frequently uses the word "we" to remind participants they are working toward a shared resolution rather than fighting a battle.

"We are not seeking to exit the mediation as separate teams," he explained. "If we are successful, we will exit as one team, with one agreement, all moving forward, together, in one voluntarily agreed direction."

Kanazawa said becoming a neutral also forced him to reassess assumptions he once held as a trial attorney. He no longer believes extremely high or low settlement demands are effective negotiation tools and instead encourages parties to make realistic proposals that build credibility and trust.

The longtime litigator estimated he conducted 35 MVP mediations over the past year. He described the experience as both educational and rewarding.

"I am learning so much and believe I am helping, in a small way, change the culture of dispute resolution," he wrote.

For Kanazawa, the mediator's role is ultimately less about persuasion than understanding.

"Listen and be humble," he advised new mediators. "You cannot force people to agree. You can only help them want to agree."

This profile is the first of a weekly series highlighting volunteers on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County's Mediation Volunteer Panel. Learn more about the panel and view mediator profiles at www.lacourt.ca.gov/ADR or scan the QR code. MVP mediators volunteer to coordinate and conduct three-hour mediations at no charge for cases referred by the court.