73 awareness and appeal of this approach among leaders in the field,” says Gabrieli. Along with its training and outreach activities, the center, which is directed by CEO Dr. Aviva Adler, also engages in academic research on insolvency mediation. The goal, explains Alberstein, is “developing a legal language for this approach to settling disputes, which currently doesn’t exist in the world of business. Once lawyers have this language at their disposal, they can choose to be more open and creative in their thinking about what will get the best results—not just for them, but all parties involved.” As for whether Israel’s lawyers will indeed choose this path, if the number of applicants to the center’s first training course is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. “We recognized that if the most prestigious and successful lawyers embrace this approach first, we’re more likely to get buy-in from the rest of the field down the line,” Gabrieli says. “And yet, even though we sought applicants with impressive qualifications and significant experience in the field, we still received far more applicants than we could admit.” The response, he insists, is proof that the country’s legal culture is ripe for just this kind of innovation. “Lawyers are people, too, andmany of themareworn out from the conventional, cut-throat approach,” concludes Gabrieli. “That’s why we built this center, and I have no doubt that they will come.” Adv. Amos Gabrieli Photo by Alon Sigavi Prof. David Hahn Prof. Michal Alberstein
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