Top Rated Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorney in St. Louis, MO

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• The US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri has a list of approved mediators.  In order to join this list I had to meet stringent training and experience criteria.  I handle numerous cases each year referred to mediation by the Court and have had excellent results in finding workable resolutions in these federal court cases.

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Chair of ADR Committee 2018 - 2021

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts refers artists with legal needs out to local attorneys willing to act pro bono.  Each year I accept appointments to assist artistis in negotiating or mediating disputes.

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• Members of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) have access to this article in the St. Louis Bar Journal.  The article explored the mechanics and policy behind a mandatory mediation program put in place in response to housing crisis beginning in 2008., Co-author, Foreclosure Mediation Programs, St. Louis Bar Journal, Legal; ADR, 2012
• How clients and their attorneys make decisions fascinates me.  Mediation is all about making one decisions after another and this article pulls back the curtain on the psychology behind mediation decisions.  For example, "group think" will destroy honest discussion in the reak-out room so be thoughtful in who you bring with you to the mediation.  A limited number will reach settlement more frequently and faster than a group., Author, Understanding and Using Psychology in Mediation, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL), Legal, 2021

Representative Clients:

• Illinois State Board of Education has hired me to mediate disputes over special education between parents and school districts.  Such mediations are held both in-person and virtually by ZOOM.  I have completed +60 mediations in the past year with very good results.
• The Illinois State Universities Civil Service Commission hires me to act as both a mediator and hearing officer in discharge cases throughout the State of Illinois.  The governing statute and regulations provide for a hybrid process in which I mediate the dispute, and only if unsuccessful, then act as the hearing officer.  The process is similar to med-arb, popular in other parts of the country, and this novel approach has led to some excellent and speedy final resolutions.
• THe Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has included me on the list of approved mediators for disputes over special education between parents and school districts.  I have mediated disputes in both rural and urban parts of the State.

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• The Kimmell Leadership Award is given annually to one employee at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) for leadership in the community.  I was chosen for my work in enhancing recreation for all ages in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon community., 2004

Videos:

• This nationwide webinar was presented through Fastcase and showcased my approach to Mediation and Arbitration during the pandemic.  I use ZOOM and discuss how to make ZOOM successful for attorneys and their clients.  Virtual ADR can be a tool for continuing to bring in revenue during these challenging times., Presenter, Legal, 2020

Educational Background:

• BA from Univesity of Missouri-Columbia, cum laude, 1982
• University of Notre Dame Law School, JD, 1985