The New York Supplemental Order--Mandatory Mediation of Certain Commercial Cases--Pilot Project is a court-ordered mediation program that requires parties involved in certain commercial cases to first attempt to resolve their dispute through mediation. The pilot project applies to commercial cases pending in New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division. The purpose of the program is to encourage the settlement of disputes through alternative dispute resolution instead of litigation. The types of commercial cases that are covered by the project include: contract disputes, business torts, collections, and commercial real estate disputes. The pilot project requires the parties to attend a pre-mediation conference, mediated by a court-approved neutral mediator, to discuss resolution of the dispute. The parties may also use the project to facilitate the exchange of information, documents, and evidence through the mediator, and to negotiate alternative dispute resolution agreements. The project also encourages the parties to use technology to facilitate the mediation process.