MY QUEST FOR THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

After nearly 40 years of practice as a civil business litigator and trial attorney, with large, boutique, and solo firm experience, representing plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of business litigation matters, my practice has evolved to provide Mediation services.

My mission now is to serve as a Mediator to work to bring resolution to disputes of all kinds. It is my pleasure and an honor to assist parties and their counsel to evaluate matters, simple and complex, and to facilitate settlement of cases, no matter how challenging.

As a Mediator, I have successfully conducted mediations virtually via video conference (I like the Zoom platform) AND in person with parties and lawyers present, which I prefer. I am also available for a hybrid of virtual and in-person mediation sessions, if that works best for parties and their counsel. I am also willing to travel to almost any location desired by the parties and their counsel in order to conduct an in-person mediation.

After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 1987 and being admitted to the California State Bar later that year, in addition to being a zealous advocate I understood the importance of pursuing all proper avenues for resolution when in a client‘s best interest to do so. I bring those decades of experience, empathy, and understanding to my work as a Mediator. I have orchestrated innumerable settlements, including in highly complex cases, and assisted colleagues in settling their matters. I am now focusing upon serving predominantly and eventually exclusively as a Mediator to guide and assist parties and their counsel to achieve resolution.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE NATURE AND BREADTH OF MATTERS I HAVE HANDLED

I have represented defendants and plaintiffs, and understand their different perspectives. I have litigated matters concerning contracts; employment disputes; securities; commercial disputes; business torts; business fraud; emotional distress; insurance coverage; unfair competition; copyrights; trademarks; trade secrets; construction disputes; real property disputes; trust and probate matters; attorney professional malpractice; franchisor/franchisee disputes; business competitors; corporations; partnerships; joint ventures; limited liability companies; shareholders; owners; and investors. I have extensive trial, arbitration, and mediation experience.

MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

I began my career in 1987 as a litigator and trial attorney in the Los Angeles office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, after having been a summer associate there in 1986, with a state and federal court practice focused on complex business litigation. I left Morgan, Lewis in June 1991 to pursue an extraordinary opportunity as a senior litigation associate at a Southern California boutique business law firm, which unexpectedly dissolved at the end of October 1993. Although welcomed back by Morgan, Lewis, I instead chose at that time to form a solo practice with clientele I had developed and clients referred to me by law firm colleagues and others.

From the formation of my own practice, at times working with other attorneys in joint ventures representing plaintiffs or brought in as counsel for co-defendants, I have taken on cases at hourly rates; on a flat-fee basis; on contingency and reverse-contingency fee bases; for a mixed reduced hourly/contingency fee; and on what I jocularly came to refer to as de facto contingency (something solo and small firm attorneys will understand).

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

I received an A.B. with Honors and Distinction from the University of Michigan in 1984 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1987. I was admitted to the Bar of the State of California in 1987; admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Central District of California in 1988; and admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin in 2016. I have practiced in California state courts located in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Imperial, and San Diego Counties and in federal district courts in California, Nevada, Illinois, & Wisconsin.

I have also completed the Pepperdine University, Caruso School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution interactive mediation training program, which helped fine-tune my approach to evaluate facts, law, issues, concerns, and potential impediments and paths to resolution; listen intently and empathetically to parties’ and counsel’s positions, desires, and needs; share and explore my thoughts and opinions separately with each of the parties and their counsel; and use my education, training, experience, skills, creativity, and instincts to help craft, promote, and facilitate solutions all will accept.