As a former litigator and now full-time ADR professional, I serve as a court-appointed special master from time to time. I have recently presided over a complex business dispute involving multiple parties that has been dragging on for years. The case has been hotly litigated and there have been motions to compel, for sanctions and to disqualify counsel. The hearings before me were often heated, with the parties regularly interrupting each other and using incendiary language. This conduct was not only rude, but disrupted the flow of the hearing and made it difficult for the court reporter to produce a clean record.

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