After more than three decades in private practice as a commercial litigation and insurance coverage attorney, trying cases, arguing motions, drafting contracts and opinion letters, settling cases, and otherwise providing legal and practical advice to clients, as of January 1, 2017 I left my law practice behind to devote 100% of my time to helping attorneys and parties resolve lawsuits and disputes short of trial via Mediation or Arbitration. As I would tell you if asked: “I absolutely love what I do! I would be honored to serve as your Mediator or Arbitrator.”

As a mediator I help attorneys and parties simplify and resolve Commercial, Insurance and Civil Litigation by finding SOLUTIONS that bring RESOLUTION, CLOSURE and CERTAINTY so that the Parties can get on with their businesses and lives unencumbered by the uncertainties, risks and expense of litigation. Flexible in my approach, I understand the personal/emotional, business, insurance and coverage issues that can be key components in resolving litigation. I am a quick study with the ability to simplify disputes and to not let parties give up during the negotiation process. Mediation Day is a very important day for the Parties and I approach it as such — in every single matter.

When in practice, I was a Senior Partner in a Los Angeles based litigation firm, representing corporations, professionals, non-profits, individuals, and insurers in a broad range of matters, at trial, in arbitration and on appeal - mediating hundreds upon hundreds of cases over the years. My legal experience has been diverse and international and I have a deep knowledge of the insurance industry, insurance policies and the various risks they insure against (primary, excess, reinsurance, program, surplus lines, London Market, and international insurers). I also served as firmwide Managing Partner of my former law firm (being intimately involved with decision making re financial, contract, employment and real estate matters), and at times chaired the firm’s Insurance Law, Cyber & Privacy Law, International Law, and Business & Real Estate Transactions practice groups and, ultimately, serving my many clients as counselor and trusted advisor.

I am honored to be a Past President of the FDCC and the Insuralex Global Insurance Lawyers Group (Chambers-Band 1) and to be a Fellow and Founding Regent of the American College of Coverage Counsel.  As President of the FDCC, together with Donna Melby, then President of the National ABOTA, we founded the inaugural “National Summit on the Right to Trial by Jury” which was jointly sponsored by FDCC and ABOTA in 2005 and continues today by ABOTA as its 7th Amendment Summit. Active in a number of professional associations, over the course of my career I have served on the Boards of Lawyers for Civil Justice, DRI (Defense Research Institute), the ASCDC (Association of Southern CA Defense Counsel) and Association of Attorney Mediators.

Wondering what I am like? Take a listen to my podcasts or watch one of my YouTube videos - you can find them by my name or under the name“ROADS TO Resolution ~ Closure ~ Certainty". I look forward to meeting you and working with you and your clients or attorneys to help get cases settled!

• JD, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (Jessup International Honors Moot Court Team and Board; Internship with United States Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles)
• BBA - Finance, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
• Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University Law School, "Mediating the Litigated Case" Mediation Training (42 hours), 2007
• Edwards Mediation Academy, "Advanced Mediation Training" (40 hours), 2017
• Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation (PON), "Harvard Negotiation Master Class", May 2022 
• Advanced Mediation Training - U.S. District Court, Central District of California and Association of Attorney-Mediators - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Online Dispute Resolution Training, Susan Guthrie, Learn to Mediate Online, 2019
• AAA - Arbitration Training - 2021, 2022, 2023
• CIPP/US Designation - Certified Information Privacy Professional (IAPP), 2020 to present
• MC3-Certified Mediator - 2019 to present

• National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
• American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow and Founding Regent; Member, ADR, D&O, Bad Faith, and Cyber & Computer Crime Committees
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals); Women Leading Privacy
• FDCC - Past President and Emeritus Member; As President, co-founded inaugural “National Summit on the Right to Trial by Jury”, Las Vegas, 2005 (now ABOTA’s 7th Amendment Summit)
• PLUS (Professional Liability Underwriting Society)
• American Bar Association; Women In Dispute Resolution
• Arbitral Women
• Beverly Hills Bar Association
• Association of Attorney-Mediators
• Southern California Mediation Association

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