Peter Silverman

As a neutral, Peter R. Silverman has been an active arbitrator since 1986 and a mediator since 1990. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association Large, Complex Case Arbitration Panel, the Conflict Prevention & Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, and the Ohio Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

He is also the sole United States arbitrator on the Chair/Sole Arbitrator Panel of the European Union-based International Distribution Institute, which offers expedited arbitration for international distribution and franchising disputes.

Peter currently chairs the Early Dispute Resolution Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Early Dispute Resolution Task Force for the International Franchise Association, and the Dispute Resolution Committee of the Ohio Bar Association Corporations Committee. He teaches seminars nationwide and writes widely on alternative dispute resolution.

Clients look to Peter for his business experience. From 2013-2016, Peter was an active partner in the Oasis restaurant chain, which was elected to the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame in 2014. Between 2004 and 2010, Peter owned and was President of Hi-Genomics, a biotechnology company that genetically transformed plants.

Committed to helping entrepreneurial businesses, he received the 1989 Ernst and Young/Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his work in helping business owners start and grow their businesses. In addition, Peter is an individual member of the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall Of Fame.

Peter currently serves on the board of the Toledo Chabad House. As a public official, he formerly served on the Toledo City Council, the Toledo School Board, and the Ohio Casino Commission.

Education:

• J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan, 1981
• B.A., with honors, George Washington University, 1977
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1975-1976

Bar and Court Admissions:

• Michigan, 1988
• Supreme Court Michigan, 1984
• United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit, 1983
• United States Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, 1985
• United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, 1988
• United States Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit, 2005
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1985
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio, 2000

Representative Matters:

• General outside counsel to food-product business expanding manufacturing and distribution worldwide.
• Arbitration panel chair of case regarding breach of franchise agreement with potential damages exceeding $10 million.
• Resolved class-action consumer fraud action for defendant in class-action-friendly district for de minimis payment.
• Represented franchisee association and many individual franchisees in resolving claims in franchisor bankruptcy.
• Attained 7-figure award in arbitration against breaching multi-unit franchisee.

Professional and Community Affiliations:

• Toledo Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• ABA Forum on Franchising
• CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals
• National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Ohio Chapter