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scma

17th annual
interactive conference

the absolute mediator

Faculty Listing

Scot Adams. In 1995, Scot founded Insurance Services Network, an independent claims adjusting and consulting company. His areas of claims expertise include analysis, negotiation and settlement of litigated large loss professional liability claims; development of defense/settlement strategies; and coverage analysis. He has long term working relationships with insurance carriers, brokers and defense firms on local and national levels, including New York , Colorado , Washington , California , New Jersey , Florida and Hawaii . Early in his career Scot worked for Weil & Company as its Southern California Regional Manger, where he was responsible for the management of claims/office personnel and supervision of litigated and non-litigated files. His further duties included the direct handling of legal malpractice, accountant, entertainment, real estate and insurance agent/broker E&O claims. Throughout this period of time and continuing to the present, Scot has been retained as a consultant to a number of prominent insurance companies and self-insureds. Scot has his B. A. from UCLA and in 1980 he got his J. D. from Whittier College School of Law.

James N. Adler, for more than 30 years, has been mediating and arbitrating as a neutral or as an advocate representing employers and employees as a partner in the Los Angeles firms of Irell & Manella and Munger Tolles & Olson. Appointed by the joint leadership of the United States Congress, Jim also served as a neutral from May of 1995 to May of 1999 as one of the initial members of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance. The Office of Compliance oversees the application of 11 major labor and employment laws to the U.S. Congress under the Congressional Accountability Act. Jim is a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America . He is a past president of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and of the Southern California Chapter of the Industrial Relations Research Association. On July 31, 2005 , Jim withdrew from Irell & Manella and the active practice of law to concentrate solely upon his work as a full-time neutral.

Coby Anderson is co-founder of Communication Partners which offers mediation, facilitation and training in conflict resolution to healthcare providers. As an educator, he has developed training programs for the United States Navy and is an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He is well versed in qualitative data analysis techniques and has done extensive research in conflict in healthcare. He is currently working with the U. S. Navy Medical Corp to design conflict resolution and team building systems for stateside healthcare institutions as well as training curricula for personnel deploying or returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sharon J. Arkin is a partner with Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson in Newport Beach . She graduated from Western State University, School of Law in 1991 (Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude) and was litigation co-counsel in Goodrich v. Aetna, which resulted in a $116 million punitive damages award – the largest in the country against an HMO at that time. Ms. Arkin is a certified appellate specialist, with over 20 published decisions. In 2001, she received the Robert E. Cartwright, Sr. Award for Trial Advocacy from the Consumer Attorneys of California and in 2002 was inducted into the Western State University , School of Law Hall of Fame . She was also selected as one of the Top 50 Women Litigators in California by the Daily Journal in 2003. She is currently the President-Elect for the Consumer Attorneys organization and will serve as its President in 2005. Ms. Arkin is a frequent lecturer for the Rutter Group, is Editor-in-Chief of the Forum magazine, the state trial lawyer association’s monthly magazine, and is author or primary co-author of nearly 100 magazine articles, law review articles, book chapters and seminar materials. She also regularly testifies before various California and federal legislative and regulatory committees on behalf of consumers regarding numerous consumer issues, including mandatory binding arbitration, punitive damages, 17200 and tort reform efforts.

Maurice J. Attie is a Los Angeles based Mediator. A Bar member for over 40 years starting as a L.A. Deputy City Attorney, he closed his civil practice in 2002 to become a full time neutral. Along the way, he joined the New York and Israel Bar Associations, became a circuit presenter instructing on alternatives to conventional legal solutions (including 23 cities around the world), published numerous articles and has been interviewed extensively by the printed and broadcast media. He’s a Professional Level member of the SCMA, a member of the ACR and ABA ’s DRS and was an Executive Committee member of the IAHL.

Carla Barboza is a full-time neutral known for her success in settling difficult, often precedent-setting cases. She has become the mediator of choice in disputes where the issues are unconventional and the parties are unyielding. Considered one of the country’s foremost experts in employment law, Carla specializes in resolving all types of discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour, and civil rights matters. Carla has more than 20 years of experience as a trial attorney handling complex disputes and numerous appellate victories, many involving cases of first impression. Before becoming a sole practitioner, Carla worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the firm of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg. Carla is bilingual and frequently mediates and investigates cases for the Spanish-speaking community.

Eleanor Barr. Since establishing herself as a full-time mediator in 1999, Eleanor Barr has built a thriving mediation practice specializing in legally and emotionally complex cases. Eleanor’s success at resolving cases is based upon her skill at distilling complex legal issues, her decade-long litigation experience, and her ability to defuse the emotional issues that often underlie conflict. Eleanor actively mediates in the areas of business, employment, real estate, construction, elder abuse, personal injury, civil rights, professional malpractice and environmental law. Prior to becoming a mediator, Eleanor spent a decade litigating complex, multi-party cases. Her experience has been instrumental in her ability to resolve such cases as a mediator.

Michael J. Bayard is presently with the American Arbitration Association as a Construction ADR Neutral arbitrator. Previous experience includes: Attorney, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, 1994-99; Attorney, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, 1987-94; Attorney, Wickwire, Gavin & Gibbs, 1984-87; Attorney, Shapiro & Maguire, 1979-84. As a full–time construction neutral, 50% of time spent on mediation, primarily large and multi–party construction cases. 50% of time spent on arbitration, primarily large complex construction cases. Prior experience of over 20 years as full-time construction attorney, 50% of time spent on construction disputes and 50% of time spent on drafting and negotiating construction-related agreements. Primary emphasis on construction disputes and contracts valued at over $1 million. Former National Chair of Construction Law Groups at Pillsbury Madison and Sutro, and Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal, two of the largest law firms in the United States . Mr. Bayard graduated from University of California at Berkeley (AB, Phi Beta Kappa-1976); Hastings College (JD-1979). He was admitted to the Bar: California , 1979; Federal, 1979. His publications include: Associate Executive Editor, Hastings Law Journal, 1979. Author of over 25 publications on construction law.

Daniel Ben-Zvi Mediator Daniel Ben-Zvi (pronounced “BenzVee”) has mediated over one thousand cases, specializing in business, entertainment, real estate, employment and personal injury.   He is co-author of a book  “Inside the Minds – Alternative Dispute Resolution” and writer of articles on mediation.  He was also a writer on the tv show “LA Law.”   A frequent lecturer to lawyers, mediators, and community groups, he has also been the featured mediator interviewed on “The Dennis Prager Show,” “The KNX-CBS Business Hour,” “Saving the American Dream” and other radio and television shows.   Before becoming a mediator, Mr. Ben-Zvi practiced as a multi-state trial lawyer representing both plaintiffs and defendants.   He is Chairman of the Annual Mediation Day for the City of Los Angeles .

Phyllis E. Bernard is the Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law at Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she teaches state and federal administrative law, alternative dispute resolution, and legal ethics. She is the founding director of the OCU Center on Alternative Dispute Resolution, which has the mission of expanding the use of mediation, arbitration, negotiated settlement and other non-litigious forms of dispute resolution through class instruction, scholarly research, and community outreach.  

On the international level, Prof. Bernard has served as a consultant to the U.N. World Health Organization, advising the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on privatization of their health care system and development of a quality of care dispute resolution system. With the International Federation of Women Lawyers in the Niger Delta Prof. Bernard has designed an appropriate tribal peacemaking program, using the Early Settlement model. This model has become a successful prototype for bridging traditional and civil justice systems at the village level, being adapted for use in Liberia , Kenya and the Sudan . As a consultant with the ABA Africa Law Initiative, Prof. Bernard has developed a mediator-training program for the Rwandan civil courts providing guidance for 18,000 volunteer mediators nationwide.      

Prof. Bernard’s research and teaching interests in mediation derive from practical experience as a litigator, lobbyist and adjudicator in Washington, D.C. Prof. Bernard is developing an ADR process to replace most Medicare adjudications for institutional providers under the then-$50 billion Part A program. As a state Commissioner serving on the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, Prof. Bernard assisted in developing the rules and procedures replacing most of the state merit system appeals process with ADR, and in developing the first ethics rules for Merit Protection commissioners.

Prof. Bernard holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a master’s in history from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and a bachelor’s in history (cum laude) from Bryn Mawr College.

She is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, the federal courts for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court. In the American Bar Association, Prof. Bernard has served on the governing councils of three sections: the Africa Law Initiative, the Section of Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice and the Dispute Resolution Section, where she also served as Long-Term Planning Officer. She is Chair of the ADR Section of the Association of American Law Schools; and is co-editor of the book, Dispute Resolution Ethics: A Comprehensive Guide, published by the ABA

Selected Publications: 

Viggo Boserup A graduate of Princeton University and Hastings College of the Law, and a practicing attorney since 1970, Viggo’s experience includes probate, trusts & estates, tax, finance, real estate acquisition, development, construction, and civil litigation. Viggo has been a full-time, professional mediator since 1992 and has mediated more than 3,000 cases involving construction, employment, real estate, disability, wrongful death, products liability, medical malpractice, estate planning, intellectual property, entertainment matters, personal injury cases, and others. He is based in the Santa Monica office of Boserup Mediation. In December, 2004, Viggo was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the top 50 mediators in the state of California .

George D. Calkins is a Senior Partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, practicing construction law with emphasis on the analysis, investigation, litigation, arbitration, trial, mediation and settlement of construction disputes. Mr. Calkins has tried or arbitrated numerous public works construction cases. He has served for 12 years as a construction arbitrator/mediator and has presided at over 450 arbitration/mediation proceedings involving construction issues, particularly on public construction disputes. In addition, Mr. Calkins is experienced in developing construction claims avoidance, mitigation and settlement strategies as to public works and private projects. Mr. Calkins serves as an expert witness in the areas of construction and insurance coverage disputes. He also teaches and publishes widely on public construction law and dispute resolution topics, including numerous courses on public works construction issues. Mr. Calkins has specialized in public works construction cases, as counsel and mediator/arbitrator. Representative cases include the MWD’s East Dam Project; the L.A. Harbor Dept. Community Center ; the Route 105 and Route 5/110 and Elysian Viaduct Freeway projects; the city of Santa Monica Sewer Rehab project and several City of Beverly Hills parking garages

Harry W. R. Chamberlain, II is the President-Elect of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel [ASCDC] which is the nation’s preeminent regional defense organization. From 1992 to 1994, he managed the Law Department for a major group of U.S. property and casualty insurers, and has also served as general counsel to a California-based professional liability insurer. In addition to his trial and appellate practice, Mr. Chamberlain is often engaged as an expert witness and consultant in cases involving professional liability, legal ethics and insurance issues. He lectures and writes extensively on a variety of topics concerning business litigation, First Amendment rights and alternative dispute resolution He is also an advisory member of the California Judicial Council Civil Courts Subcommittee.

Hon. Eli Chernow, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge (Ret.) is one of the most well respected complex commercial discovery and case management referees in Los Angeles . He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School , magna cum laude, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation, he was a Harvard University , Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellow. He received his B.S. in Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology. Among Judge Chernow’s many publications are the Rutter California Practice Guide: Civil Trial & Evidence (co-author); “Video in the Courtroom – More Than a Talking Head,” Litigation, The Journal of the ABA Litigation Section, Fall, 1988 ; “Sanctions – Remedies That are Right California Litigation,” Journal of California State Bar Litigation Section, Vol. 1, No. 1; “Choosing an Expert Witness for Real Estate Appraisal,” Co-author, Beverly Hills Bar Journal, 1993. Judge Chernow has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers since 1988 a member of the Family and Juvenile Court Advisory committee for the Judicial Council of California ; and, a member of the Executive Committee, Litigation Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Kenneth Cloke is Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution and a mediator, arbitrator, consultant and trainer, specializing in resolving complex multi-party conflicts, including community, grievance and workplace disputes, organizational and school conflicts, sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits, and public policy disputes, and in designing conflict resolution systems for organizations. He is a nationally recognized speaker and leader in the field of conflict resolution, and a published author of many journal articles and several books, including Mediation: Revenge and the Magic of Forgiveness and Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution. His consulting and training practice includes organizational change, leadership, team building and strategic planning. He is a co-author with Joan Goldsmith of Thank God It's Monday! 14 Values We Need to Humanize The Way We Work, Resolving Conflicts at Work: A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job, Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflict: Stories of Transformation and Forgiveness; The End of Management and the Rise of Organizational Democracy, and The Art of Waking People Up: Cultivating Awareness and Authenticity at Work. His latest book, Journeys into the Heart of Conflict will be published in 2005.

He received a B.A. from the University of California ; a J.D. from U.C.'s Boalt Law School ; a Ph.D. from UCLA; an LLM from UCLA Law School ; and has done post-doctoral work at Yale Law School . He is a graduate of the National Judicial College in Reno , Nevada . His university teaching includes law, mediation, history and other social sciences at a number of colleges and universities including Southwestern University School of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law, Antioch University , Occidental College , USC and UCLA.

Joan Cotkin. Ms. Cotkin’s customary fields of practice include insurance coverage law, directors and officers coverage as well as all forms of property and liability insurance, intellectual property coverage and bad faith litigation matters, professional liability defense, complex business litigation and general civil, commercial litigation and employment practices litigation. Ms. Cotkin has participated in such important coverage cases as Stonewall v City of Palos Verdes, before the California Supreme Court. She is a contributing author to Insurance Handbook for Business Litigators and has authored “Nordstrom Court Drives Stake Through Heart of Insurers’ Argument For Allocating Loss In D & O Insurance” as well as “Directors and Officers Liability Insurance for Employment-Related Claims. In February 2004, Ms Cotkin was a panelist for the ABA-TIPS seminar, “Advanced Mediation Traing for Insurance Coverage Disputes/Insurance Coverage Law for Mediators.”

Raphael (Ray) Cotkin is the senior partner in Cotkin & Collins, a California firm which specializes in insurance coverage and professional liability law. Ray is based in the firm’s Los Angeles office from which he conducts a nationwide practice emphasizing insurance coverage matters. He frequently writes and speaks on insurance law and bad faith litigation as well as tort and professional liability issues. He has frequently appeared as an expert witness in these areas of expertise. He is a former chair and long-time member of the California State Bar’s Insurance Committee.

Gay G. Cox , JD of Dallas , Texas , graduated from Abilene Christian in 1973 with a double major in Psychology and Social Work and from SMU Law School in 1978. She practiced criminal defense, juvenile and family law until 1990 when she became a family mediator. Since 2000, Gay has limited her practice to collaborative family law and mediation, subjects about which she lectures nationwide and publishes frequently.

Ed Davis is a leading mediator in the field of employment, housing, and business. For twenty-five years, he ran a worldwide transportation company where his duties included mediation and arbitration, especially in relation to anti-discrimination and equal opportunity issues and the various labor contracts of the company. He began his full-time mediation practice in 1999. He mediates cases for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Dept. of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH); California Dept. of Insurance; California Appellate Court; Los Angeles & San Diego Superior Courts; Los Angeles & Orange County Bar Association Fee Dispute Programs; Newport Beach & Huntington Beach Police Depts.; Westminster Small Claims Court; Orange County Fair Housing; and Community Service Programs.

William Eddy is a Mediator, Attorney and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He has 12 years’ experience as a therapist with children and families, followed by 12 years experience as a family law attorney and divorce mediator. Currently he is Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego , California . He has mediated over 700 divorces, and approximately 100 business and personal injury disputes. He has taught “Negotiation and Mediation” and “Interviewing and Counseling Difficult Clients” at the University of San Diego School of Law. His books include: High Conflict Personalities: Understanding and Resolving Their Costly Disputes (2003) and Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing a Borderline or Narcissist (2004). He provides seminars to therapists on Law and Ethics, and seminars on handling High Conflict Personalities in several states, Canada and France .

Tara Fass , LMFT, has been a child custody mediator since 1994, and before joining Peace Talks Mediation Services, she was a Los Angeles Superior Court Child Custody Mediator and Evaluator in the Conciliation Court Office. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice. In addition to her professional mediation and training experience, Tara taught a Co-Parent Education Program with the Los Angeles Superior Court, has lectured on the subjects of co-parenting and blended families on the graduate school level and has presented on the topic of “Transformational Mediation” and “Preparing Clients for Custody Mediations” for therapist and attorney professional organizations.

Cheryl Lackman Feinberg has practiced real estate law since becoming an attorney in 1986 and h as taught Legal Aspects of Real Estate at Long Beach City College since 1989. Ms. Feinberg has mediated numerous real estate disputes since 1994, has served as Settlement Officer for the Long Beach Superior Court, and she currently serves as a mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. She authored “Advantages and Pitfalls of Alternative Dispute Resolution (a.k.a. the Good, Bad, and Inevitable),” published in The Legal Secretary, November 2001. Ms. Feinberg has served as a Judge for the ABA ’s “ADR Representation in Mediation” Regional Competition in 2004. She is a Past President of the Long Beach Bar Association as well as Past President of Women Lawyers of Long Beach, having received its “Outstanding Lawyer of the Year Award” in 1998, and its “Pro Bono Award” in 1999.

Barbara Filner has been the director of training for the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego since 1984. She currently heads the Center’s Institute, a multi-purpose training and education arm for dispute resolvers. She has developed and conducted seminars and workshops in conflict resolution for public and private groups in the United States and Western Europe , including the Kaiser Permanente Ombudsman Program. She is the author of numerous training manuals and has written two book with Selma Myers, Mediation Across Cultures (Amherst Press, 1994) and Conflict Resolution Across Cultures: Talking it Out to Mediation (Amherst , 1997).

Erica Ariel Fox is the Founder and Director of the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII or the Insight Initiative), a project of the Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Law School . The Insight Initiative explores interface of the perennial wisdom traditions and contemporary dispute resolution theory and practice. Ms. Fox is also a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School , where she teaches negotiation to law and other graduate students. Ms. Fox’s work at the nexus of the ADR world and the world of spirit is considered to be among the most visionary and exciting developments in the field today.

In addition to her work with the Insight Initiative, Ms. Fox is a senior consultant for diagolos International in Cambridge , MA . Through systems intervention, dialogue facilitation, and leadership training, she supports organizational leaders around the world in addressing conflict and guiding change through management efforts. Before entering the dispute resolution field fill-time, Ms. Fox practiced law at the Boston firm Hill & Barlow. She has a B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School . She has also trained extensively with world leaders in the fields of negotiation, mediation, and conflict systems intervention. Erica serves on the Harvard Mediation Program's Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of MWI. She is currently researching a book which will build on her article, “Alone in the Hallway: Challenges to Effective Self-Representation in Negotiation,” which appeared in the first issue of the Harvard Negotiation Law

Sandy Gage has acted in the capacity of President for the California Trial Lawyers Association (1979) as well as the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association (1973). He acts as an ATLA representative for the state of California , and has co-authored the Lexis-Nexis legal book “Insurance Bad Faith Litigation.” He was trial lawyer of the year – LATLA (1974) and has lectured and acted as a seminar participant/author in over 200 presentations. Mr. Gage has taught trial practice as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine School of Law and authored the ethical guidelines: “Code of Professionalism” for the CTLA . Los Angeles Magazine lauded him as one of the top 10 attorneys in Los Angeles and a “Trailblazer of the Law.” Mr. Gage brings his 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer and his knowledge gained from over 40 appellate decisions to the table as an ADR professional.

Steven Glickman . In September 2005, Steve Glickman became President of The Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA; formerly known as the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association) which represents the interests of plaintiffs' trial lawyers and their clients. Mr. Glickman has been recognized by the Consumer Attorneys as having recognized experience as a trial lawyer and in the areas of general personal injury and professional negligence. Mr. Glickman has spoken at seminars for CAALA, Consumer Attorneys of California, and the California Continuing Education of the Bar. He has published numerous articles in the legal literature and is the editor of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles "Medical Malpractice Guide.

Toni Jaramilla is an advocate for civil rights as an employment and labor attorney representing the worker in claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination and unpaid wages. She is the current Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar, and Chair of the Diversity Outreach Subcommittee. Through her diversity committee, Ms. Jaramilla spearheaded a project which devotes thousands of dollars for grants awarded to multi-cultural organizations in a statewide effort to educate the community on workers’ rights and employment and labor law in general. She is also a Board Member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) where her diversity outreach efforts continue in encouraging women and people of color to become active members of CELA. She served as the President of the Philippine American Bar Association (1997-1998) and has been profiled in the Los Angeles Daily Journal (October 6, 1998 and September 9, 2002) for her advocacy in employment law and her accomplishments as a community leader. Through a vote by her peers, Ms. Jaramilla was selected and featured as a Southern California “Rising Star” for 2004 and a “Super Lawyer” for 2005 in the Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine. Ms. Jaramilla’s peers have also voted her to be included in the 2006 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America .” Ms. Jaramilla is a member of the California and Hawaii Bars.

 Cheryl L. Johnson specializes in complex business litigation with an emphasis on patents, antitrust, intellectual property, RICO, commercial transactions, real estate, securities and banking. She is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Author of California Antitrust Law (2d. Vol.)(2d ed. 2001) as well as Editor-in Chief and Co-Author of California Antitrust Law (Cal. St. Bar:1991). She has been the Co-Chair of the annual PLI Markman Jurisprudence Seminars (“How to Prepare and Conduct Markman Hearings”) for the last five years (2001-2005). Ms. Johnson also handles a broad range of patent infringement cases involving various technologies, including DVD replication, automotive battery operation and design, television and videocassette recording, thrombolytic pharmaceuticals, and canine medications.

Deb Johnson , ChFC, CDFA has been involved in the financial services industry in an advisory capacity for over 20 years. She received her designation as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) from the American College in Bryn Mawr , PA , and is certified as a Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). Deb is a founder and director of the Divorce Planning subsidiary of Life Transition Planners, Inc., a comprehensive financial planning firm specializing in the area of finances and divorce. Deb strongly embraces the Collaborative Law concept. She is a founding member of the Colorado Collaborative Law Professionals and has been proactive in creating public awareness of Collaborative Law in Colorado through her participation in radio talk shows and presentations to various professional organizations. She has authored a chapter discussing the role of the Financial Specialist on the Interdisciplinary Team in the book entitled Collaborative Law:  A New Model for Disputed Resolution-Sheila Gutterman, Bradford Publishing 2004. Deb is a member of the Society for Financial Services Professionals, the Financial Planning Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the Colorado Collaborative Law Professionals, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.

Neil Kalin joined the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® in 1987 and is now Assistant General Counsel. He is the senior legal advisor to C.A.R.’s Standard Forms Committee, provides advice to C.A.R. members on the Legal Hotline, and writes many of C.A.R.’s Appellate Court Briefs. Neil is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and has served as a Judge Pro Tem and a volunteer mediator and arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Neil has earned his CIPS designation (Certified International Property Specialist) from N.A.R. in 2001. In 1982, Neil received his Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois . Also in 1982, he received his Certificate of Public Accountancy (CPA). Neil was graduated from UCLA School of Law in 1985.

Ratana Kim is Community and Intergroup Conflict (CIC) Program Director of the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center . She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in American Literature and Culture and received her mediation training from the APADRC. Her experience in conflict resolution stems from her desire to work with the Cambodian community in the Long Beach area. Ratana assisted with the launching of APADRC's Southeast Asian Mediation Initiative. She currently works with the Cambodian community in Long Beach as well as other recent immigrant communities, introducing mediation as an alternative to handling disputes.

Constance M. Komoroski was Assistant United States Attorney,Civil Division, General Civil Section, Los Angeles , from 1989 to August 2005. Her areas of Practice include: appeals to administrative decisions, employment discrimination, constitutional claims, immigration, personal injury, Medicare and Social Security, health care financing, real property, condemnation, land use, environmental law, Native American law, FOIA. From 2004 to 2005 Ms. Komoroski administered SSA appeals program, 5 Federal District Court Trials, 20+ Ninth Circuit Appeals. She has received the Award for Sustained Superior Performance (1999, 1993), and the United States Department of Justice Commendation, Environmental and Natural Resources Division (1995). Ms. Komoroski co-authored Alternative Dispute Resolution, Federal Civil Practice Manual, OLE, EOUSA, USDOJ, February 2003.

Jerry Lazar. SCMA Board Member Jerry Lazar mediates litigated and non-litigated disputes. He manages the Dispute Resolution Services program for the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Previously he was Associate Director of California Lawyers for the Arts, where he also supervised the organization's mediation services.  He is a professional journalist, who has edited and written for many national publications (and currently serves as editor of the SCMA Newsletter). Lazar is a third-generation magician, who regularly performs at the Magic Castle . He rewards clients who settle with a card trick; those who don't settle get punished with two card tricks.

Len Levy, an attorney since 1973, has been a member of the SCMA Board of Directors since 2003, and is co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee. He is a full time mediator and arbitrator with an office in Encino, whose practice includes mediating arbitrating disputes both during the litigation and prelitigation stages, in a variety of areas, including insurance, surety and fidelity, personal injury, workplace, construction, real estate, commercial law, and business entity disputes (partnerships, corporations, LLC’s). He has authored numerous articles, and has participated on a number of panels addressing subjects related to mediation.

Craig Lichtman , M.D., MBA. Craig Lichtman helps people find solutions to their problems even when they feel hopelessly deadlocked. For nineteen years, Dr. Lichtman has been in the private practice of psychiatry, specializing in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, organizational consulting, agreement facilitation and dispute resolution, and consulting for hospitalized medical and surgical patients. He received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Insurance and Risk Management, an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and an MBA from St. Joseph ’s University. He is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Clyde Lockwood has been practicing as a medical malpractice defense lawyer in Southern California for over 35 years. He has been a speaker for The California Continuing Education of the Bar, The Rutter Group – several organizations of trial lawyers, including the National Meeting of the American Trial Lawyers Association. For several years he co-taught a post-graduate course in the preparation and trial of medical malpractice cases at USC. Clyde presently practices in Los Angeles .

Dana Lofton is the Program Manager of the Dispute Resolution Center Riverside County .  She has a Master of Arts Degree in Education from California State University, San Bernardino and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Administration.  She is a qualified mediator and conflict manager with more than 10 years of mediation experience.  Her major areas of interest are intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, as well as school based conflict management, conflict resolution and mediation.

Michael M. Maddigan , Esq. is a partner in O'Melveny & Myers LLP's Los Angeles office and a member of The American Lawyer's “Litigation Department of the Year.” He received his J.D. from the University of California , Berkeley in 1992, where he served as Articles Editor for the California Law Review and his BSFS in 1989 at Georgetown University where he was a School of Foreign Service Honors Scholar . He clerked for the Honorable William D. Keller, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1992-1993 and is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers for which he serves as committee member Complex Commercial Discovery and Case Management Processes.

Robert Mann is regarded as one of the most accomplished construction lawyers in California . In a case involving the construction of the Shutters Hotel in Santa Monica , Mr. Mann obtained a $90 million arbitration award, the largest construction defect arbitration award in California history, following the longest construction arbitration in the history of the American Arbitration Association. He has represented some of the largest developers in the United States in multi-million dollar construction disputes. Mr. Mann is also a mediator of construction, real estate, business and employment cases.  He is a member of the National Roster of Construction/Commercial Arbitration of the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Mann received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University , and his J.D., cum laude, from Santa Clara University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He has lectured extensively on construction issues, and has served as an expert witness on attorneys fees disputes in construction matters.

Deborah Masucci Deborah is Director of Dispute Resolution in the Litigation Management Division of AIG, Inc. where she is responsible for the strategic use of ADR in the Domestic Brokerage Group and increasing the alternative methods of appropriate dispute resolution used within the Claims Organization. AIG is the nation’s largest private consumer of mediation services. At JAMS, from 1999 to 2003, Deborah Masucci was responsible for the creation and execution of the professional development and training plan for panelists and associates nationwide. From 1983 to 1998, Deborah Masucci was Vice-President of Dispute Resolution for NASD Regulation, Inc. and Director of the Dispute Resolution Department from. As head of the Dispute Resolution Program she was responsible for the administration of securities arbitration and mediation cases nationwide. She is former Chair of the Arbitration Committee for the City Bar and currently serves on their International Commercial Dispute Committee. She was a Board member for the Association for Conflict Resolution for Greater New York. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the Federal and Commercial Litigation Section for the New York State Bar Association. She is a Council Member and co-Chair of the Planning Committee for the Dispute Resolution Section’s Annual meeting.

Robert J. Matlock , JD graduated from Washington University with a degree in business administration and received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. After a number of years of civil and criminal litigation practice, he joined the first firm in Dallas with its practice limited to family litigation. He later established a solo practice and has since been engaged in all aspects of marital law, collaborative law, mediation and arbitration. Robert has served as an adjunct professor for several universities and as a speaker at numerous seminars concerning mediation, collaborative law, marital property and other topics.

Nanci McMurray has been a full time mediator since 2004 when she founded Graceful Resolutions.  Her practice emphasizes Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury cases. Ms. McMurray also provided mediation and support services in community dispute resolution via the Martin Luther King Dispute Resolution Center from 8/2004-12/2004.  She is unusually qualified for her areas of mediation practice because of her extensive experience from 1993-2004 as a Litigation Supervisor and Claims Adjuster for SCPIE, a major medical malpractice insurance carrier.  Her responsibilities included supervision and evaluation of a caseload of 150+ files; daily oral & written communications with insureds (doctors, oral surgeons & hospital personnel), attorneys and in-pro-per plaintiffs; investigation & evaluation of claims; participation in settlement conferences/mediations to achieve resolution as required; supervision & management of defense attorney activities related to defense of claims. 

John Jay McCauley graduated with honors from Harvard Law School in 1980, and thereafter practiced as a business, employment and real estate litigator, both as a partner in a large Los Angeles based law firm and (later) as a principal in the small Orange County law firm which he founded. Mr. McCauley teaches courses in Alternative Dispute Resolution as an adjunct professor at both Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and Whittier Law School in Orange County, California. He is a State Bar Certified Provider of Continuing Legal Education on the subject of Mediation, and a frequent speaker on the topics of effective advocacy in mediation and the design of alternative dispute resolution systems. Mr. McCauley also serves as an arbitrator on the large complex case panel of the American Arbitration Association. As an arbitrator, he follows the practice of adhering to the ethos of the Rule of Law, in the more congenial and "user friendly" atmosphere of the arbitration hearing.

Steven G. Mehta is a full time mediator who handles complex disputes in areas such as employment law, elder abuse, personal injury, business and real estate disputes. He lectures nationally on the topic of negotiation and mediation techniques. His background in communications and social science as well as his experience as a trial lawyer has led him to develop a unique understanding of human dynamics that occurs in mediation. He has been previously selected as a Southern California Superlawyer in the field of mediation and as the Lawyer of the Year for the California State Bar Solo and Small Firm Section.

Diana Mercer , Esq. is an Attorney-Mediator and founder of Peace Talks Mediation Services in Los Angeles , California (www.peace-talks.com). A veteran litigator, she now devotes her practice solely to mediation. Outgoing and down-to-earth, she makes clients and attorneys feel at ease in solving family and divorce disputes. She is the co-author of Your Divorce Advisor: A Lawyer and a Psychologist Guide You Through the Legal and Emotional Landscape of Divorce (Fireside 2001). She’s an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution and is admitted to practice law in California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the United States Supreme Court.

Michael Meyer has developed a national reputation as one of the pre-eminent leasing attorneys in the United States. He regularly represents many of this country’s leading financial institutions, accounting firms and law firms in connection with major lease transactions throughout the United States . Representative of the major leases he has done for tenants within the last 12 months include Bank of America (200,000 sq. ft.) and Rand in Santa Monica . Mr. Meyer is considered one of the country’s leading authorities on the establishment of Fair Market Rental Rates pursuant to arbitrations, the Assignment and Subleasing provision, and the Inter-Relationships between the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) in Los Angeles. He has served as judge pro tem in the Los Angeles Municipal Courts and presently serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He developed the definition of Fair Market Rental Rate which, in one form or another, is used in numerous major lease transactions, and has been intimately involved in many arbitrations/mediations involving Fair Market Rental Rates – the most recent, involving Screen Actors Guild, Rosenfeld, Meyer, & Susman, Nestle, Saban Entertainment and Sony with major landlords including Jerry Snyder, Douglas Emmett, Equity Office, Heitman and Transpacific. In 2002, he was named CoreNet Global’s Real Estate Professional of the Year and one of the 25 Most Powerful Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 2002 and 2004, the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the San Francisco Daily Journal named him one of the 100 most influential Lawyers in California. He was ranked No. 2 among all of the real estate lawyers in California in Chambers USA – America ’s Leading Business Lawyers, 2003, 2004. In 2004 and 2005, in a vote by his peers, published by Los Angeles Magazine, he was the only real estate lawyer ranked in the Top 10 of all the SuperLawyers in Southern California.

Gene Moscovitch. Now in his sixth year of full time dispute resolution work, including having now mediated over 750 matters to conclusion, Eugene C. Moscovitch, Esq. brings a wealth of practical knowledge and experience to ADR Services, making him one of the most sought after mediators in Southern California . Mr. Moscovitch is able to draw freely upon his highly acclaimed background as a trial attorney (80-90 jury trials) and his thirty-two year career as a negotiator to find a way to settle the cases that others often label as impossible. What do you get when you combine a keen intellect and strong work ethic with a warm and friendly demeanor?  A winning set of mediation skills which consistently have allowed Gene Moscovitch to achieve an extraordinary rate of settlement (approx 95%) and an unparalleled degree of client satisfaction.

Frederick F. Mumm , a partner in the Los Angeles , California office of Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, specializes in intellectual property and entertainment litigation and mediation. Mr. Mumm previously served as head of CBS Broadcasting Inc.’s West Coast litigation department, where he supervised inside and outside counsel in matters including copyright, trademark and entertainment litigation. Mr. Mumm is a member of the Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and has been a member of the Attorney Officer Settlement Panel of the United States District Court for the Central District of California since 2003.

V. Michelle Obradovic is an experienced mediator who is licensed to practice law in the State of Alabama . She is an active Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, ACR and the American and Birmingham Bar Associations and is a frequent speaker at professional seminars on advocacy in mediation and mediator skills and ethics. Michelle is an Associate Adjunct Professor at Samford University , Cumberland School of Law, and is Coach of Cumberland’s ABA Representation in Mediation National Teams. Michelle has also been the Director of the Jefferson County, Alabama, District Court Mediation Project, since 1999, a program she created.

Victoria Pynchon, Esq. is a principal in the ADR firm of Settle It Now! Dispute Resolution services for which she has been a full-time mediator since 2004. She has presented her lecture on Collaborative Commercial Litigation at the International Mediation and Arbitration Conference. She has taught deposition skills for the past dozen years and beginning trial skills for the last two years for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. With the law firm of Hancock, Rothert & Bunshoft, she served as lead attorney for lead counsel in sophisticated and complex commercial litigation – specializing in environmental insurance coverage, antitrust and intellectual property cases. She graduated Order of the Coif from U.C. Davis School of Law and magna cum laude with a degree in Literature from U.C. San Diego. Her poetry and short fiction have been widely published and she serves as Editor-in-Chief for the on-line quarterly literary journal, R-KV-R-Y.

John Quisenberry. As the founder of The Quisenberry Law Firm, Mr. Quisenberry has more than two decades of experience trying cases involving insurance coverage and bad faith, business torts, construction defect and consumer rights litigation. Mr. Quisenberry earned his J.D. in 1980 from the University of California , Los Angeles . Mr. Quisenberry has authored several publications and legal articles to help consumers understand the legal process. Several of his books include "Evaluating and Litigating Insurance Bad Faith—Including New Developments Through 2002" (2003), "Year 2000 in Review: New Cases and Developments in Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith" (2001), "Earthquake Litigation After Quackenbush and SB 1899" (2000), "Evaluating, Litigating and Trying Construction Defect Cases" (2000), and "Evaluating and Litigating Insurance Bad Faith Cases" (2000). He is also a frequent speaker on insurance and business litigation. Mr. Quisenberry is certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Deborah Rothman, Esq. has been mediating and arbitrating complex commercial litigation for the past fifteen years. She received her B.A. from Yale College, Magna cum Laude and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She also received a Masters Degree in Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. She has been the Chief Executive Officer of her own business enterprise (Baby Fair Enterprises) and was associated with the law firm of Manatt Phelps where she practiced commercial litigation. In addition to serving as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, she serves on arbitration and/or mediation panels for the EEOC (L.A. District Office ; the U.S. Department of Justice; and, the NASD, among others. She serves as a settlement officer for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She is the Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association ADR section and has lectured and written extensively on ADR issues.

J. Wescoat Sandlin, Med, M Div, JD, LLM is a partner in Advanced Solutions Dispute Resolution Services, LLC. The United States Representative to the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum, Wescoat continues to explore communications theory in the context of a culturally diverse alternative dispute resolution practice. He has presented papers at meeting of the American Bar Association, Asia Pacific Mediation Forum, The University of Queensland, and The World Mediation Forum. An article, “Forgiving in Mediation: What Role?” was published in the July 2005 issue of the Asia Dispute Resolution Journal.

Myer J. Sankary is the only attorney and mediator certified by Dr. Robert Cialdini to present the Principles of Persuasion workshop, based on Cialdini’s groundbreaking research and book, “Influence, Science and Practice.” With 40 years of law practice and the last ten years as a mediator, Mr. Sankary is a popular author, lecturer and consultant on applying the Principles of Persuasion for avoiding and resolving conflicts. Mr. Sankary began applying the Principles of Persuasion (POP) in his mediation practice and significantly increased the number of successful settlements in cases he mediates. He graduated with a JD degree from Harvard Law School in 1965, and from Texas Christian University with a BA in Philosophy, summa cum laude, in 1962. He received certificates in advanced mediation from Pepperdine Law School and now lectures on negotiations at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Patrick Savage, MA, LPC, DAPA completed his graduate work in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at Southern Methodist University. He currently is a psychotherapist, director, and LPC supervisor at Park Cities Counseling Center in Dallas . Patrick has focused his practice on trauma related experiences and consequently divorce work. He is active in collaborative practice serving as a collaborative coach and child specialist. Patrick has consulted and testified in various civil and criminal courts as requested by judges, attorneys, and clients.

Avi Schneebalg, is a fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. He has lectured on mediation advocacy and chaired a plenary session on Mediation in Europe in the frame of the First Mediators’ Congress organized by CEDR in London . Avi has joined the faculty of the prestigious Management Centre Europe and gave an introductory lecture on business mediation. He was invited to join the commission created by the European Commission for the purpose of drafting a European Code of Ethics for mediators. Avi has taught Dispute Resolution at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Bologna and given a conference on ADR in Europe for Unioncamere in Rome . He can speak Italian, German, and Hebrew with basic writing skills and can fluently speak, read and write French, English, and Dutch.

Jeff Senger is the author of an award-winning book published by Wiley entitled Federal Dispute Resolution: Using ADR with the United States Government. He is Senior Counsel in the Office of the Associate Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice, and he previously served as Senior Counsel in the Office of Dispute Resolution, where he advised federal lawyers around the country in alternative dispute resolution. He serves as a federal mediator for the United States District Court and an arbitrator for the District of Columbia Bar Association. He has taught mediation at Harvard Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers, and he serves on the Council of the Dispute Resolution Section of the ABA and the Executive Committee of the CPR Institute. His has traveled to India, Turkey, Israel, Nigeria, Jordan, Egypt, Argentina, and Italy to speak to judges and political leaders, and the United States Congress asked him to testify as an expert witness on ADR. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Robert Shulkin has been the senior litigation counsel for Coldwell Banker Greater Los Angeles Company since December 2000, following the merger with Fred Sands Realtors. For the previous 16 years, he served as in-house litigation counsel for Fred Sands Realtors, reporting directly to Fred C. Sands, the owner of the Company. Mr. Shulkin handles a wide variety of litigation and transactional work for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. In addition to prosecuting commission actions on behalf of the Company, he handles cases involving residential and commercial broker malpractice, toxic mold litigation, construction defects, wrongful termination, fraud, breach of contract, wrongful death, personal injury, landlord/tenant, franchise law, insurance coverage, and title and escrow liability. Mr. Shulkin also supervises outside counsel retained by Coldwell Banker to handle special assignments and work overflow, and is responsible for risk management programs. Additionally, he is a frequent speaker at Company sales offices, helps train new licensees and is a lecturer at Company-wide meetings. He also provides advice to company managers regarding the day-to-day legal issues that arise in the offices, a valuable service to agents and customers. Mr. Shulkin is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and has served as a mediator and arbitrator on various panels in Los Angeles County regarding disputes arising out of real estate brokerage practice. Mr. Shulkin also lectured at the California Association of Realtors (CAR) Legal Affairs Forum in 2003 and currently is a member of CAR’s Strategic Defense Attorney Referral Panel.

Eric Stephens is one of Southern California 's leading trainers and the highly successful coordinator of  Centinnela Youth Services' program: Students Able to Resolve Situations.  Since 1999, he has led CYS in expanding and enhancing its school based peer mediation programs. Students Able to Resolve Situations Program is designed to give students the necessary skills to resolve conflicts on their school campus. Students participate in all aspects of the program, ranging from planning mediations to facilitating mediations and spreading the word to other students. Becoming involved as a peer mediator helps young people build self esteem, leadership skills, and conflict resolution skills.  In 2001, STARS received an award from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, as an "Outstanding Mediation Program". STARS is currently helping school districts establish and support programs in 40 different schools in the Centinela Valley area. Previously, Eric Stephens spent three years as the director and trainer of Community Non-Violent Resource Center in Pasadena; and for five years he also served as a Board Member and trainer-mediator at the Clarement Dispute Resolution Center.

Gregory Stone is a Masters in Dispute Resolution candidate at the Straus Institute. He has mediated cases in a variety of venues, including co-mediating with Judge Alexander Williams III in LASC settlement conferences. Stone discovered a transformative style came naturally and he became interested in developing innovative approaches tailored to fit the dispute, rather than molding all disputes into a single litigated-case model. He began his career as a mediator after a career working in the television commercial industry as a DGA 1st Assistant Director and director. As 1st AD, he managed on-set activities which involved constant negotiations with crew, talent, management, vendors, local officials, and the public. His industry negotiating experience has enhanced the transition to full-time mediator.

Jim Stott is the assistant director of the Straus Institute. Prior to joining Pepperdine School of Law, he was a sworn commissioner with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, where he provided mediation services to a wide range of clients. He has worked extensively with national labor unions and management, including Kaiser Permanente, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Coca-Cola, Disneyland Resorts, Staples Center , and the Los Angeles Police Department, where he routinely guided complex negotiations with large participant groups to successful conclusion. He has taught ADR courses in university, conference, and workshop environments.

Najeeba Syeed-Miller is currently the Executive Director of the Western Justice Center Foundation (WJCF) an alternative dispute resolution organization that works with communities, courts, schools and governments to assure peaceful conflict resolution and improve access to justice. Currently the WJCF is developing models for inter-ethnic/inter-racial dialogue and conflict resolution that are used for schools, community/police relations and environmental disputes. Previously, Ms. Syeed-Miller served as the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center (APADRC), which has provided mediation and conciliation services for the diverse Los Angeles Asian and Pacific Islander community as well as youth based conflict resolution programs for schools. Ms. Syeed-Miller was instrumental in the expansion of youth and community programs through innovative partnerships and initiatives such as the South Asian Mediation Initiative to offer mediation services to communities targeted for hate crimes after 9/11.

Fredric W. Trester , is a partner with the law firm of Manning & Marder Kass Ellrod Ramirez LLP. He attended the Santa Clara University School of Law where he graduated Cum Laude in 1980. Mr. Trester has been a California Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1984, and acts as a voluntary Arbitrator and Mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Courts. Mr. Trester is outside counsel to numerous large real estate brokerages throughout Southern California, including but not limited to Sotheby’s International Realty, First Team Real Estate, Keller Williams, and Re/Max, to name a few. He is also a member of the California Association of Realtor’s Panel Counsel, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Southwestern University School of Law where he teaches Real Estate Sales Transactions. Mr. Trester is a frequent lecturer and author on issues involving risk management and recent developments in the law impacting real estate brokers, design professionals, businesses and property owners.

Adir Waldman is a lawyer with the New York office of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He has written widely on issues of international law, political science and democracy. In addition, Mr. Waldman has conducted research and worked on related projects in various countries, including Rwanda, India, Denmark, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Waldman is a graduate of the Yale Law School (JD) where he served as Editor of the Editor, Yale Law Journal and Yale College (BA). He is also a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. Mr. Waldman has presented his work in many academic and professional settings, including the week long colloquium on international mediation and arbitration presented by the Center for International Legal Studies at Steamboat Springs, Colorado in February of 2005.

Shirley K. Watkins is a member of the Los Angeles firm of Michels & Watkins.  Since 1982, her practice has focused primarily on medical malpractice and products liability.  She is an Emeritus Board member of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and past member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Board of Governors of Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and Board of Directors of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.  She was twice nominated as Trial Lawyer of the Year by CAALA.  Michels & Watkins is a President’s Club member of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). She is author of numerous trial practice and procedure articles for CAALA, CAOC and CEB.  Shirley has mediated over 200 complex injury cases for her firm and has served for several years as a settlement officer on the VAST and CRASH settlement panels for the Los Angeles Superior Court. 

Les Weinstein is a ADR neutral focusing his attention on  serving in intellectual property, technology and competition law (antitrust, unfair competition, unfair trade practices etc.) disputes. He is also senior Counsel to Sheldon & Mak, a Pasadena based IP law firm where he advises clients on patent and other IP strategy. Mr Weinstein has a degree in engineering and is Registered to Practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He has over 40 years of experience in litigating antitrust, unfair competition, IP and complex matters. He is currently serving as an ICC arbitrator and is on the AAA Complex Case Arbitration panel. He has recently lectured and presented on ADR, IP and antitrust law  topics at meetings of the ABA , the Los angeles County Bar Association and The PricewaterhouseCoopers Leadership Conferences on Complex Litigation.

Alexander Williams, III has served as a Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court since 1984. He presided thirteen of his twenty-one years on the bench in a general jurisdiction civil trial department. A trained mediator, he was reassigned in June 2005 to preside over a full-time Settlement Court, where he conducts daily settlement conferences in cases pending in Superior Court. Judge Williams is Chair of the Judicial Education Subcommittee of the Court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Judge Williams graduated from Yale University (cum laude) in 1966 and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1969. A frequent speaker on judicial and dispute resolution matters, Judge Williams is an Adjunct Faculty member at the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law, where he teaches Dispute Resolution.

James Zapp is the Chair of the Employment Law practice in Los Angeles for Paul, Hastings , Janofsky & Walker LLP. Mr. Zapp is an experienced jury trial lawyer who has won over 90% of his trials while defending employers against all types of employment actions. Major studies also have also retained him in motion picture copyright infringement cases which he has tried to defense verdicts. Mr. Zapp frequently uses mediation to achieve cost effective results for clients. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Zapp held significant human resources management positions and was a labor relations consultant to clients in many industries. Mr. Zapp graduated with distinction from Stanford University (B.S. in mathematics), where he was Phi Beta Kappa. He is cum laude graduate from Loyola Law School and was a member of the St. Thomas More Honor Society. Mr. Zapp has been featured in The National Law Journal and The American Lawyer.