What Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services does

Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services is a Seattle-based, privately-held dispute resolution practice founded by Dee Knapp, J.D. in 2006. The firm delivers mediation, conflict coaching, facilitated dialogues, team building, mediation training, and group facilitation services to corporations, federal/state/local government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profits. The core methodology combines psychology and law-based approaches and is differentiated by the founder's J.D., psychology background, 18+ years of experience, and multiple certifications including the American Arbitration Association roster, EEOC recognition, and Seattle Federal Executive Board ADR Consortium membership. Named clients include Microsoft, U.S. Postal Service, EEOC, FAA, USDA, Vulcan, Sound Transit, King County, University of Washington, and Central Washington State University.

The business operates as a sole-proprietorship-style small practice with a stated core team of 2-3 people, supplemented by two associate partners (Learning Design Associates and Demarche Consulting Group) engaged on an as-needed basis for leadership coaching, DEI training, and specialized facilitation. Service delivery is available both in-person across Washington State and the Pacific Northwest and virtually online, with a free 30-minute initial consultation as the standard entry point. Marketing is content-driven through the company blog and SEO-oriented website (seattlebusinessmediation.com), supplemented by referrals from attorneys, HR professionals, and prior clients.

Revenue is generated through hourly billings on a sliding scale of $275-$400 per hour depending on client circumstances and service type, occasionally supplemented by flat/set fees for defined project scopes. The firm has no institutional funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no documented M&A activity. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The competitive position rests almost entirely on the founder's individual credentials and professional network rather than on proprietary technology or scalable processes.

Name

Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services

Legal name

Accord & Collaboration

Website

https://www.seattlebusinessmediation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Accord & Collaboration is a Seattle-based dispute resolution practice founded by Dee Knapp, J.D. that delivers mediation, conflict coaching, training, and facilitation services to corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profits primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

NAICS

Business Service Centers (56143)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Conflict Resolution & Negotiation (EDABAMAE)

Keywords

• Dispute resolution services
• Workplace mediation services
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Conflict resolution training
• Employment discrimination mediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hourly Mediation Services: Billable hourly services at sliding scale rates from $275/hour to $400/hour depending on client circumstances and service type
2. Set Fee Projects: Sometimes quote a flat/set fee for the job depending on scope and complexity of dispute resolution needs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Accord & Collaboration delivers alternative dispute resolution services for corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profits, with a primary focus on workplace, employment discrimination, HOA/neighbor/tenant, and business/partnership mediation. Service offerings also include conflict coaching, facilitated dialogues, team building programs, customized mediation training, group facilitation, and diversity/equity/inclusion consulting. Services are delivered virtually or in-person by certified mediator Dee Knapp, J.D.

Product overview

Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services offers a comprehensive suite of dispute resolution and mediation services centered around its core mediation practice. The company provides six primary service offerings: Workplace Mediation, HOA/Neighbor/Tenant Dispute Resolution, Business/Partnership Dispute Resolution, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Services, Employment Discrimination Mediation, and Legal & Litigated Dispute Mediation. These are complemented by Conflict Coaching (one-on-one support), Facilitated Dialogues, Team Building programs, Mediation Training, and Group Facilitation services. The offerings work together as an integrated approach to conflict resolution, from individual coaching and preparation through group facilitation and formal mediation, addressing both pre-litigation situations and active legal disputes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workplace Mediation Informal, confidential, structured mediation process that helps disputing parties work through and resolve workplace conflicts. Participants feel safe, have the opportunity to be heard, and learn new ways of communicating. Available virtually or in-person.
• HOA/Neighbor/Tenant Dispute Resolution Resolution of conflicts involving paid homeowners association services and owners, neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, and landlord-tenant conflicts to achieve peaceful resolution and avoid court.
• Business/Partnership Dispute Resolution Resolution of business disagreements including discrimination issues, COVID-related impacts, and conflicts impeding business, employee, and partner relationships.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Services Training, policy, and strategy development in diversity, equity, and inclusion, including LGBTQ+, disability, race, and marginalized community issues.
• Employment Discrimination Mediation Mediation of employment discrimination cases guiding parties to their own solutions while avoiding court-imposed ones, grounded in extensive employment litigation experience and EEO dispute resolution expertise.
• Legal & Litigated Dispute Mediation Mediation of litigated cases in both caucus and hybrid mediation models, available online virtually or in-person.
• Conflict Coaching One-on-one confidential process helping individuals resolve on-going conflicts, prepare for mediation, or receive support post-mediation.
• Facilitated Dialogues Process used when there is no discrete complaint or grievance, helping parties experiencing workplace difficulties improve productivity and communication, using appreciative inquiry, narrative mediation, and restorative circles philosophies.
• Team Building Organizational assessment and customized team building programs to identify obstacles and design solutions for optimum team performance with members committed to common goals, mutual accountability, trust, and collaboration.
• Mediation Training Customized training programs teaching conflict resolution, communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills to enable participants to resolve interpersonal and organizational conflicts constructively.
• Group Facilitation Facilitation of groups tasked with solving complex problems, ensuring a fair and accessible process, accurate records, and complete issue resolution through neutral facilitation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Agreements reached in single afternoon sessions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Learning Design Associates (Philip S. Heller, PhD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip S. Heller provides collaboration on relationship reconciliation, coaching leadership, transition counseling, policy changes, and faculty development. Partnered when client needs require gender diversity or specialized experience beyond core offerings.
• Demarche Consulting Group (Patricia Davis, PMP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatricia Davis is an executive/leadership coach and IICDP certified DEI practitioner focusing on business leaders and implicit bias issues. Provides diversity, equity, and inclusion expertise and anti-racism training when client needs require these specializations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• JAMS: JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services in the United States, offering mediation, arbitration, and other ADR services through a panel of retired judges and attorneys. It directly competes with Accord & Collaboration for mediation mandates, particularly in employment and commercial disputes, but operates at significantly greater national scale.
• American Arbitration Association: The AAA is the oldest and largest ADR organization in the U.S., administering mediation and arbitration rosters that mediators join to receive case referrals. Dee Knapp is on the AAA mediation roster, indicating AAA as both a referral source and a direct competitor in the mediation marketplace.
• CDR Associates: CDR Associates is a Boulder, Colorado-based dispute resolution firm offering mediation, facilitation, and training to government, corporate, and community clients. It provides comparable ADR services with similar federal agency engagement, making it a direct competitor for high-profile public-sector mediation work.

Regional players

• Conflict Resolution Center of Snohomish County: A Washington State community mediation center where Dee Knapp holds affiliation and recognition. It provides similar mediation and conflict resolution services in the same Pacific Northwest geography, operating as a nonprofit versus Accord & Collaboration's for-profit model.
• Interlocal Conflict Resolution Group of King County: A King County government-affiliated program providing ADR services to public agencies in the Seattle metro area. Dee Knapp is a recognized mediator with this group, and it serves overlapping government clientele with similar workplace and employment dispute resolution offerings.

Others

• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM): NAFCM is the membership organization supporting community mediation centers across the U.S. While not a direct service competitor, it represents the network of nonprofit mediation providers that compete with for-profit firms like Accord & Collaboration for community and workplace mediation contracts.
• Mediate.com: Mediate.com is the largest online directory and information resource for mediation services, used by individuals and attorneys to find mediators. It serves as both an indirect competitor (mediators listed there) and a referral channel that mediators like Accord & Collaboration rely upon for inbound leads.
• Ogletree Deakins: Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest U.S. employment and labor law firms with an active mediation and ADR practice. While primarily a legal services firm, its mediators compete with Accord & Collaboration for employment discrimination and workplace mediation engagements, particularly from HR departments and in-house counsel.
• Littler Mendelson: Littler is the largest U.S. law firm exclusively dedicated to representing employers in labor and employment matters, with an in-house mediation practice and ADR-trained attorneys. It competes for the same employer-side mediation mandates as Accord & Collaboration, particularly around EEO disputes.

Broad incumbents

• Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH): LHH is a global career transition and talent development firm that offers workplace conflict resolution, team coaching, and organizational consulting as part of its broader HR services portfolio. It competes with Accord & Collaboration's team building and organizational consulting offerings through a much larger international footprint.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattleBusinessMediation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services