Not a PR stunt. It is a fairly normal part of the litigation process. I was involved in a few hundred of these during my legal career. It is always a positive step to get the parties in a room to discuss the possibility of settlement. Many mediations result in settlements....but many don't. Like everything else in the law it all depends.....on how far apart the parties are and how motivated both sides are to reach a settlement. It is an entirely voluntary process. The mediator will do his/her best to confect the deal but has no power but persuasion to get it done. The odds of settlement are a bit higher when the parties themselves decide to mediate than when a judge orders it, but it is always a good thing to lock the parties in a room for a day with the only topic/task at hand being settling the case.