Wyomissing Lawyer Frederick Hatt to Be Recognized with PBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Award

HARRISBURG (Nov. 13, 2020) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee will present its Sir Francis Bacon Alternative Dispute Resolution Award to solo practitioner Frederick K. Hatt, Wyomissing, during a virtual awards luncheon on Nov. 19 held during the association’s Committee/Section Day.

The Sir Francis Bacon Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in bringing mediation and other forms of dispute resolution to Pennsylvania. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was a Renaissance writer who served British monarchs in a legal capacity as knight, attorney general and solicitor. He authored the essay, “Of Negotiating,” which featured the frequently-quoted line, “It is generally better to deal by speech than by letter, and by the mediation of a third than by a man’s self.”

Serving as a mediator and arbitrator since 1988, Hatt founded and chairs the Berks County Bar Association alternative dispute resolution program, which has been used as a model for many other county bar ADR programs. He proactively mentors new panelists and stays up-to-date on current Pa. laws to ensure that the ADR program and its forms stay current.

Hatt is engaged in the general practice of law, handling civil matters, including litigation. He has been appointed to many panels, including as a neutral arbitrator in uninsured and underinsured motorist cases, as an arbitration chair for panels of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas, Court Annexed Arbitration Program and a chair of Condemnation Boards of Viewers for Berks County. He has also served as a court-appointed Master in Partition Actions. In addition, Hatt holds appointments as solicitor to municipal governing and zoning boards.

Active in the legal community, Hatt has served on the PBA House of Delegates and Civil Litigation Section Council and is a member of the PBA ADR Committee. A former president of the Berks County Bar Association, he is a member of its Dispute Resolution Section. Hatt also served on the statewide Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force established by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Hatt has presented on various dispute resolution topics for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

Hatt graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where his interest in mediation began in the university’s clinical program. He has also completed training with the National Academy of Conciliators and the Mediation Training and Consultation Institute.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.