Four attorneys from Philadelphia-based midsize firm Bardsley, Benedict + Cholden have launched an alternative dispute resolution business based out of the firm’s offices. Along with a regional team of prominent litigators and dispute resolution practitioners, the newly created “Agreement Company” seeks to capitalize on the demand for arbitration and mediation services due to a glut of unresolved, backlogged court cases.

The Agreement Co. was the brainchild of Bardsley Benedict partner Andrew Benedict, in collaboration with the firm’s CEO and three other partners—Steven Bardsley, Steven Cholden and Marc Zingarini. They sought to bring in high-profile trial lawyers with experience in mediation and arbitration, such as former SEPTA deputy general counsel Eileen Katz and Jeffrey Quinn, a senior shareholder at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote.