The University of Maryland and the Atlantic Coast Conference, in the latest step in their ongoing litigation, have mutually agreed upon a mediator to discuss the possibility of a settlement, according to the latest court filing issued Monday morning.
Judge John R. Jolly Jr., the Chief Special Superior Court Judge for complex business cases in North Carolina, signed the order, which appointed the Bethesda-based arbiter Jonathan A. Marks to meet with the two sides as a neutral party. Such developments are common, particularly in business cases, and the mediator cannot force the sides to settle. However, his job is, according to the court’s rules, “designed to focus the parties’ attention on settlement rather than on trial preparation and to provide a structured opportunity for settlement negotiations to take place.”
According to a source, no meeting date has been finalized yet, but the order mandates it must happen before July 10, nine days after Maryland officially migrates from the ACC to the Big Ten, a move announced in November 2012. Shortly thereafter, the ACC filed suit against its longtime member institution, seeking enforcement of a withdrawal payment worth approximately $52 million.
from the Washington Post
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