Alternative Dispute Resolution is a mechanism by which different types of legal disputes are resolved through out-of-court processes like arbitration, and mediation as an alternative to civil litigation. ADR methods can be effective in reducing the time, money, and adversarial nature associated with traditional court-based proceedings.
Pleasanton (formerly, Alisal and Pleasonton) is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a major suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about 25 miles (40 km) east of Oakland, and 6 miles west of Livermore. The population in July 2007: 66,544 at the 2000 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in the United States by the Census Bureau.