A Message to Attorneys:

   You’ve likely either already been referred to Mediation by the Courts or, you’ve wisely decided to pursue a mediated settlement at this pre- or mid-litigation stage. Either way, you recognize that Mediation is an opportunity for me to help you out of this blind alley. I can and will devote all of my energy and talents to finding and helping you craft a cost-effective, mutually acceptable resolution to your controversy.

   During the Mediation, I pledge to create a safe and secure environment foal l parties and counsel and, to maintain my neutrality, while candidly helping you assess the strengths and weaknesses of both the other side’s, and your own, case. I promise to listen non-judgmentally to each side and to absorb, process and, when helpful, pass-along all important and non-confidential information shared by the parties and their counsel. Over the years, I have learned –as the maxim goes—“both how to listen and and to listen to learn.” I will remain patient, persistent, and will persevere to during the Mediation and after, if necessary, to forge a path to a win/win solution.

   As both a former litigation and corporate attorney for almost 25 years, I’ve learned that successful negotiation is an incremental process that usually occurs one bite, one step at a time. I will do all I can to narrow the differences and settlement ranges to help shape a workable rationale that facilitates both communication and an end to your conflict. I will work steadfastly to guide both counsel and the parties toward consensus.

   I will work hard upfront to sharpen and narrow the range of acceptable resolutions and to respect everyone’s time constraints and other legitimate concerns. But my goals remain to keep the parties talking and moving, to discover and define reasonable expectations, and to creatively propose helpful queries and suggestions that drive us toward a successful outcome for all.

   I’ll share my questions, insight, and analysis to foster movement and highlight potential resolutions. But I’ll need your help to break the logjam that led you here and to identify the underlying issues and perspectives that have prevented settlement thus far. I will employ every problem-solving tool in my arsenal to keep all parties both reasonable and engaged until we strike a justifiable resolution to your dispute.