Frequently Answered Question

While I’ve mediated all kinds of cases, my main focus is on matters involving financial issues and financial institutions.  I work on cases between investors/consumers and their broker-dealers, registered investment advisors (RIAs), insurance companies, and mortgage companies, to name a few.  I mediate cases between financial services institutions and their employees/independent contractors on a wide variety of issues, including claims of wrongful termination, harassment or hostile work environment, CRD defamation, Protocol issues and others.  And when financial institutions have disagreements between them, I mediate those cases, too. 

Yes and kind of.  You can use my online calendar to check availability and electronically request a date that shows as available or check on the status of a date that is on hold or booked.  The reasons for the request process are practical onesl.  First, things on the calendar can change – parties sometimes need to move their mediation dates, or they hold a few  dates and then choose one later.  Second, I want to make sure I can travel from one venue to the next and still ensure that the parties to each mediation are able to  have their full day.  I can probably make it from Portland to Miami overnight but let’s make sure!

I mediate Coast to Coast and Everywhere In Between.   Wherever your case is located, I go there.  I’m licensed to practice in California, am still licensed in Minnesota (inactive status) have appeared in courts and hearing rooms all across the country.  If you need help finding a venue for your case, I can often assist.

Great question!  When parties aren’t able to travel – or when the money spent on travel would be better spent going toward settlement – consider online dispute resolution.  This can be such a useful option!  You won’t need any equipment other than a computer, tablet or mobile device and all the participants will be able to sign in through a secure link sent by email.  I use Zoom and apply security measures to my Zoom-based mediations, but if you require an alternative platform, we can probably use that platform.

I actually started out as a high school teacher, where I taught history, government, economics and English (misuse of apostrophes is my pet peeve). From there, I went to law school, where I served at Editor-In-Chief of the Law Review, worked with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office and researched for my Contracts and Maritime/Admiralty Professor.  Fun fact – I participated in the Admiralty Moot Court and then coached the team.  When I left law school, I clerked at the Minnesota Supreme Court. From there, I started out with an NLJ 250 law firm as a general litigator but with increasing focus on securities matters and mortgage banking class actions.  I spent time as in-house counsel at a major wire house, where I learned a lot about the business side of the securities industry.  I’ve consulted on the Claimant/Plaintiff side of the securities world, served as an arbitrator and eventually moved into mediation.

I’m an avid runner and a huge sports fan, and I enjoy seeing new places.  Running is my athletic passion – I’ve qualified for and run two Boston Marathons and I explore new towns on early morning training runs. I love other sports, too.  My dad was a professional baseball scout, so I grew up in red dirt and have probably been to more baseball games at more levels than most people.  Football, hockey (Go Wild!), soccer, golf and swimming/triathlon are also on my watch list.  Let’s see a game when I’m in town if we have time!

I also love dogs and other animals and expect to see pics of your pet when I see you!