Select MWI Ombuds & Mediators

Outsourced Ombuds
alnoor-ombuds@mwi.org

Alnoor Maherali is an ombuds, mediator, trainer, and consultant with MWI. He was trained in conflict resolution at the Harvard Kennedy School and currently works as an ombuds to help employees find the best options to solve workplace problems. He strives to help create a peaceful work environment for all employees by ensuring one’s important interests are well understood and addressed. Alnoor is also a skilled mediator and has helped resolve workplace disputes involving salary compensation, sexual harassment and company expansion/dissolution. In addition, he provides training to state and federal employees in crisis management and conflict resolution. He is a former diplomat with over 10 years of international experience between Canada, the USA, Afghanistan and Bangladesh making him an expert communicator and sensitive to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. His professional accomplishments include the negotiation of resolutions at the United Nations in Geneva and New York, after-action reviews of the responses to major crises, and important roles in the resolution of two high-profile hostage cases in Afghanistan. Alnoor was trained by the International Ombuds Association in the Foundations of Organizational Ombuds Practice course.

Outsourced Ombuds
charmhee-ombuds@mwi.org

Charmhee Kim is an experienced ombuds and cross-cultural trainer with MWI. She served as an ombuds for 15 years at McKinsey & Company, a global management consultancy, addressing workplace conflicts including harassment and discrimination claims, career development concerns, and other challenges. She has been an active member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) since 2007 and was trained in its Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice Course which she later taught as faculty. Charmhee served on the IOA Board of Directors and co-chaired its Global Marketing Task Force. Prior to entering the ombuds profession, Charmhee worked as a management consultant, investment banker, and public affairs specialist with the United Nations. She holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MA from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Charmhee is trilingual in English, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese.

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Outsourced Ombuds
jai-ombuds@mwi.org

Jai Calloway is an experienced, people‐focused ombuds with a mission to redefine the way people understand and work together by harnessing the power of difference. Jai has spent over ten years working and studying conflict resolution methodology and its intersection with diversity and inclusion within organizational settings. Jai previously served as Corporate Ombuds for Halliburton Oil Services and serves as an external organizational ombuds for small businesses cross‐industry. She is an alumnus of the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law – Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution. Jai was Vice‐Chair of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and was Chair of the International Ombuds Association Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force. In addition to her work as an ombuds, Jai works as an organizational development consultant where her focuses are conflict resolution, employee engagement and diversity & inclusion.

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Outsourced Ombuds
michael-ombuds@mwi.org

Michael Stephens is an experienced ombuds, mediator and coach with the goal of helping foster good working relations and a more positive culture in the organizations he serves. Michael is a member of the International Ombudsman Association, and has significant experience as an ombuds in both both corporate and academic settings. Michael has a certification in Mediation from the Mediation Training Institute. Michael worked for many years as an Ombuds, as well as the manager of other Ombuds, at Merck, a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Prior to that he had many years of experience in Human Resources roles at Merck and several other companies. After retiring from Merck, he has served as ombuds for Amherst College as well as Smith College. Michael is also an experienced facilitator and workshop leader, specializing in communications skills, conflict resolution and change management. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Colorado and a Masters in Business Administration from New York University.

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Outsourced Organizational Ombuds | Mediator | Trainer
Direct/Text: 617-895-4026  | Email: cdoran@mwi.org

Dispute Resolution Experience

Chuck Doran is an experienced outsourced organizational ombuds, mediator, and trainer. Chuck is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP) and a member of the International Ombuds Association who completed ombuds training with the IOA in 1995. Chuck has served as an outsourced organizational ombuds for companies, universities, and other organizations since 1997. A mediator since 1992, he is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and the CPR Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. He has mediated with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), MWI, the Harvard Mediation Program, and the United States Postal Service REDRESS I and REDRESS II Mediation Panels. In addition to his ombuds and mediation work, Chuck works nationally and internationally as a dispute resolution trainer and consultant with corporate, governmental, and non-profit clients including Coca-Cola Enterprises, General Motors, Bose Corporation, and the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School. Chuck has served as a teaching assistant on multiple occasions with Professor Roger Fisher at Harvard Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers Negotiation Workshop. In 1993, Chuck completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program on Negotiation and chaired two regional ADR Conferences in 1997 and 1999. Chuck served as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Advisory Group and is a past president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter. Chuck is also a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) and a past president of IAM’s Board of Governors.

Experience and Sample Clients

• Outsourced Organizational Ombuds:   Completed ombuds training with the International Ombuds Association in 1995 and has served as an outsourced organizational ombuds for corporate, higher-ed, governmental, and non-profit clients since 1997. Also provides support to the ombuds community with consulting services designed to improve, reimagine, and support established and new offices and ombuds.
• General Motors:  Serves as a national mediator for disputes between Dealers and GM involving audit, incentive programs and fleet sales matters; Designed and led the GM Mediation and Arbitration Training Program which provided training to hundreds of GM Dealer and Corporate Mediators;  Responsible for oversight and design improvements of national mediation and arbitration program managed by MWI for General Motors;
• BMW of North America:  Mediator for variety of matters involving BMW Motor Cars and Motorcycles. Responsible for oversight and design improvements of national mediation and arbitration program managed by MWI for BMW of North America;
• USPS and EEOC:   Contract workplace and employment mediator with the United States Postal Service and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mediating federal discrimination, termination, and other matters relating to the workplace.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Distinguished Fellow and Executive Committee Board Member (Past President), Board of Governors – The International Academy of Mediators (IAM) (2013 – Present); Recipient of the Presidential Honor Award (2017);
• Appointed to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee (1999-2003);
• President and Director of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter (NE-ACR) (formerly the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution – SPIDR). Elected to serve as President and former President-Elect and Director of the six-state regional chapter of ACR International (1997-2004);
• Chair, Massachusetts Budget Coalition. Led statewide collaborative effort with 15 mediation providers across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to secure over $950,000 in legislative funding for court-connected mediation services (1997-2000);
• Advisory Board Member, Dispute Resolution Section, Massachusetts Bar Association (2018 to present).
• Arbitrator with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Fee Arbitration Board (1996 to present).

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Mediation Trainer. Designed and served as lead trainer for over seventy-five 20 to 40-hour basic and advanced training programs, totaling over 2250 hours since 1994. Mediation training clients include Coca-Cola, Bose Corporation, MWI, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, and the Harvard Mediation Program at Harvard Law School;
• Negotiation Instructor and Presenter. Chuck has worked nationally and internationally with top sales, procurement, and delivery professionals to diagnose and resolve negotiation challenges across multiple industries including financial/consulting, healthcare, and high-tech. Served as a negotiation instructor for the internationally attended “Program of Instruction for Lawyers” Negotiation Workshop at Harvard Law School as a teaching assistant to Professor Roger Fisher on multiple occasions.

Background and Education

• Graduate: Completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program On Negotiation, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA (1993);
• Undergraduate: B.A., Philosophy, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY; President Philosophy Club / Tenure Committee (1989).

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Mediating & Arbitrating Franchise, Land Use, Real Estate, and Construction Cases
617-895-4028 | Case Manager: Josh Hoch

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Jack Wofford, a long-time member of MWI’s mediation and arbitration panels, has broad experience in arbitration, mediation, facilitation, consensus-building and other forms of dispute resolution in a wide range of areas, including commercial, employment, environment, family-owned and other closely held business, insurance, organizations, personal injury, public policy, and complex development, real estate, construction and transportation projects. In 1999, President Clinton appointed Jack to a seat on the Federal Service Impasses Panel, which resolves disputes in negotiations between the Federal Government and its unionized employees.

His experience as a mediator in construction and real estate matters includes disputes among landlords and tenants, co-tenants, owners, developers, lenders, partners, contractors, architects and engineers, subcontractors, condominium associations, government agencies and insurance carriers, including professional, title and liability insurers and bonding companies. Issues have included renovations and new construction, from single-family homes (condominiums and detached) to subdivisions, shopping centers, multi-family, office, university and major public infrastructure construction projects.

A lawyer, Jack has done solely neutral work since 1987. In the 1970’s, Jack served in both state and federal government in transportation positions, including director of long-range transportation planning for the Boston area, Associate Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public works, and Deputy General Counsel of the US Department of Transportation. As an attorney in the real estate area (until 1986), Jack represented a variety of perspectives, including developers, builders, owners, partners, landlords, tenants, architects, lenders, and public funding sources. He has drafted and negotiated the full range of documents, including development agreements, loan documents, leases, ground leases, eminent domain findings, construction and management contracts. Projects included: renovation of Commonwealth Pier into Boston’s World Trade Center (for Massachusetts Port Authority); redevelopment of the East Cambridge riverfront (for City of Cambridge); development of research and office space on 24-acre site (for MIT); affordable housing project at Copley Square, Boston (for neighborhood corporation); redevelopment of historic mill in Vermont into market rate residential and commercial space (for private developer).

Focus Areas

Sample projects handled by Jack as mediator and arbitrator of disputes in the construction and real estate area include:

• Disputes between owners and contractors over renovations (residential, commercial)
• Lease between national drug chain and major shopping center owner
• Disputes between general contractor and major subs – in construction of residential subdivision and in construction of New York Subway system
• Construction of student center for public university
• Dispute among insurers over contamination of Woburn/WR Grace Superfund site
• Liability of surveyor’s professional liability insurance company for damages from errors in layout of major planned residential subdivision
• Special Master of dispute between contractor and two Massachusetts towns over construction of waste-water treatment facility
• Allocation of financial responsibility for clean-up of Superfund site from industrial contamination of town water supply involving municipality and four alleged polluters
• Facilitation of advisory committee overseeing clean-up of Massachusetts Military Reservation Superfund site from multiple contaminated plumes affecting four towns
• Mediation of disputes over highway plans in CT, NH, NJ, MA
• Facilitation of 42-person advisory committee charged with recommending improvements in proposed bridge over Charles River as part of Boston’s Big Dig project, leading to widely-praised Zakim-Bunker Hill Bridge

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member of the Bars of Massachusetts, New York, and District of Columbia (DC inactive)
• Former Member, Federal Service Impasses Panel (1999-2002 – Presidential appointment)
• Member, Association of Conflict Resolution (International and New England)
• Author of numerous articles on conflict management and consensus building
• Recipient of “Spirit of Mediation” award from community mediation program for his 16 years service on its board of directors and his 40 years of consensus-building (2010)
• Recipient of “History Makers Award: Innovations in Historic City-Building” for civic participation in resolution of major transportation controversies (2004)
• Roster of Facilitators of the US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution
• Former Co-Chair, Boston Bar Association Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution, Section of Labor & Employment Law (1997-99)

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

Jack has conducted trainings in conflict management, consensus building, mediation and negotiation for the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association, US Department of Justice, Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution, New England chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution, Boston and Massachusetts Bar Associations, Family Firm Institute, and a number of corporations, universities and groups.

Background and Education

• LLB, Harvard Law School (1962)
• BA, MA, Oxford University (1959) (Rhodes Scholar)
• BA cum laude, Harvard College (1957)
• Former Member, Federal Service Impasses Panel (Presidential appointment) (1999-2002)
• Senior Consultant and Mediator, Endispute, Inc., Boston, MA (1987-93), conducting wide range of mediations and consulting to corporations and government agencies on cost-effective legal management
• Real Estate Department, Csaplar & Bok, Boston, MA (associate 1979-81; partner 81-86)
• Deputy General Counsel, US Department of Transportation, Washington, DC (1977-79)
• Director, Central Transportation Planning Staff, Boston, MA (1974-77)
• Associate Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Works (1972-74)
• Director, Boston Transportation Planning Review (1971-73)
• Associate Director and Fellow, Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School (1966-69)
• Project Director and Research Associate, Harvard Law School (1966-70)
• Staff Assistant, Community Action Program, US Office of Economic Opportunity (1964-66)
• Law Clerk, US District Judge for the District of Columbia, Washington, DC (1962-64)

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Mediating Auto & Retail Franchise Matters with MWI
Phone: 617-895-4029 | Email: kstamatelos@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Kimberly Stamatelos has been a practicing mediator since 1986. She was a pioneer in mediation in the mid to late 80’s making presentations around the country to businesses, courts and lawyers on topics related to conflict resolution. Kim has taught mediation, negotiation and related topics at the law school level, and in numerous private trainings throughout the country. Through a grant from the State Justice Institute in Alexandria, Virginia, she went around the state of Iowa educating courts and judges in effective settlement techniques and mediation. She conducted two statewide trainings for Iowa Judges in settlement techniques and also led similar judicial workshops in Arizona and California. She mediates cases around the country in all types of areas including civil, business, family, employment and franchise, disability accessibility, and she is a member of the panel of mediators set up through the Department of Justice Americans With Disabilities Act. She also facilitates meetings between groups and organizations.

Focus Areas

• Alleged breach of franchise agreements or proposed franchise terminations with national franchising companies;
• Disputes between national distributor and owners of distributorships throughout the country involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in controversy;
• Allegations of violations of Americans With Disabilities Act by persons with disabilities against national companies and with small private businesses;
• Meeting facilitation between not-for-profit organizations with similar mission statements resulting in friction pertaining to RFPs , solicitation of funds, public distinction of the groups, and potential collaboration vs. competition for resources;
• Family law disputes of all types involving high levels of conflict surrounding parenting, custody, child support, contempt of court allegations.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Award for Outstanding Contribution to ADR in Arizona, Arizona Dispute Resolution Association
• Americans with Disabilities Act Mediation Panel, Department of Justice
• Bar Admissions: Iowa, 1982, Texas, 1983 (license in Texas no longer maintained)
• Professional Associations and Memberships: American Academy of ADR Attorneys; Association of Conflict Resolution; International Academy of Collaborative Professionals; Women in Mediation; Iowa Association of Mediators; Iowa Bar Association; Polk County Bar Association
• Public Service Activities: Polk County Bar Association: Volunteer Lawyers Project, Volunteer Attorney and Mediator; Des Moines Public Schools Success Program: Mentor to At-Risk Students; Drake University Law School: Former Member, Board of Governors

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Drake University Law School: Former Adjunct Professor of Mediation and Negotiation Former Coach, Negotiations Team
• Arizona State University Law School, Mediation Clinic: Former Adjunct Professor of Mediation
• University of Phoenix: Former Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Business Ethics Judicial Workshops in Iowa, California, Illinois and Arizona (Mediation Training – Sponsored by State Justice Institute)
• Numerous seminars on issues related to mediation and conflict resolution

Background and Education

• Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1981
• Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, 1978
• Numerous continuing education seminars in topics ranging to legal developments, conflict resolution, grief, special needs children, negotiation, managing emotions, high conflict parents, etc.

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Mediating Auto & Retail Franchise Matters with MWI
Phone: 617-895-4029 | Email: dmadigan@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Denise Madigan has been a full-time mediator for almost thirty years, concentrating on cases in – or about to be in – litigation. Before becoming an attorney, she served as the Associate Director for the Harvard-MIT Public Disputes Program based at Harvard Law School. There she mediated multi-party public policy disputes involving state and local government officials, business groups, and citizen advocacy groups. During her career, Denise has mediated cases involving both the public and private sectors and covering a broad range of subjects, including employment; unfair competition; intellectual property; commercial contracts & licensing; franchiser/franchisee; manufacturer/dealer/distributor; construction defect; personal injury; securities; and product liability disputes. After graduating from law school, she worked at a prominent Washington, DC law firm, later joining the ADR firm, Endispute, Inc. She has been an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution for over twenty-five years. For over twenty years, Denise has designed and taught courses in negotiation, mediation and ADR for law firms, Fortune 500 companies, insurance companies, trade associations, government entities, and courts nationwide. She has also taught mediation at City University of Hong Kong School of Law, California Judicial Education and Research (CJER), and at Hong Kong University. She has been admitted to the California (active), New York, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC bars and has clerked at major commercial law firms overseas in Sydney and Tokyo as well.

Focus Areas

Over the past 20 years, Denise has mediated a wide range of cases. The following is just a sampling:

• Bankruptcy of a major national retailer, involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Commercial contract disputes involving the provision of computer hardware and software systems.
• A $200 million settlement between a large transportation agency and its primary contractor, related to liability surrounding one of the most serious train accidents in California history. Settlement approved by the federal court.
• 25 wrongful death and personal injury cases arising out of a single, massive accident, totaling in excess of $25 million.
• The reorganization of operations and assets (worth over one billion dollars) among thirty utility cooperatives.
• Shareholder/directors’ suit involving medical computer technology that was among the most sophisticated in its market.
• Patent infringement dispute involving high-tech and major entertainment companies.
• Multi-party trade dress, false advertising dispute involving millions of dollars in disputed revenues/damages.
• Complex family business disputes involving enterprises worth over tens of millions of dollars.
• Superfund (CERCLA) allocation dispute involving over thirty municipal and industry PRP’s.
• Will contest involving complex family and business issues in an estate worth tens of millions of dollars.
• A wide range of injury cases under the Federal Employers’ Labor Act (FELA).
• Insurance coverage disputes under a variety of policies, and under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
• The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the U.S. Resolution Trust Corporation (USFDIC/RTC) suits against Boards of Directors related to failed savings and loan entities.
• Reimbursement disputes between insurance companies and major healthcare providers.
• Employment disputes, both pre-litigation and in litigation, and both union and non-union settings.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Distinguished Fellow, International Academy of Mediators
• Mediation Committee, Center for Public Resources
• Best Lawyers in America
• SuperLawyers “Top 50 Women Lawyers” (Southern California)
• SuperLawwyers “Lawyer of the Year in Mediation”
• Hollywood Reporter “Power Mediator”
• Board of Governors for the International Academy of Mediators.

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

Denise Madigan is part of the Visiting Faculty at Shantou University in Shantou, China, where she has been teaching mediation the past three years. Prior to that, Denise spent several years teaching mediation at City University of Hong Kong School of Law and later at Hong Kong University School of Law. Denise is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pepperdine Law School, where she is affiliated with the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She teaches semester courses in Mediation and ADR, as well as in-service training programs for sitting and former judges and practicing attorneys from across the United States and around the globe. Over the years, Denise has been called upon by corporations, government agencies, law firms and other organizations to assist them in designing and delivering special seminars, training programs and training materials in negotiation, arbitration, and mediation including, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and a variety of Fortune 500 companies and Am Law 100 law firms. Denise also has substantial experience teaching professionals from all over the world, including judges, attorneys, and government officials from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. This includes teaching economics to Mason Fellows (a special program for government officials from emerging nations) at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in the early 1980’s.

Background and Education

• J.D. – Harvard Law School, cum laude; Editor, Harvard Law Review;
• M.P.P. – Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University;
• B.A. – Northwestern University, Phi Beta Kappa, Best Thesis in Economics.

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Outsourced Organizational Ombuds | Mediator | Trainer
Direct/Text: 617-895-4026  | Email: cdoran@mwi.org

Dispute Resolution Experience

Chuck Doran is an experienced outsourced organizational ombuds, mediator, and trainer. Chuck is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP) and a member of the International Ombuds Association who completed ombuds training with the IOA in 1995. Chuck has served as an outsourced organizational ombuds for companies, universities, and other organizations since 1997. A mediator since 1992, he is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and the CPR Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. He has mediated with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), MWI, the Harvard Mediation Program, and the United States Postal Service REDRESS I and REDRESS II Mediation Panels. In addition to his ombuds and mediation work, Chuck works nationally and internationally as a dispute resolution trainer and consultant with corporate, governmental, and non-profit clients including Coca-Cola Enterprises, General Motors, Bose Corporation, and the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School. Chuck has served as a teaching assistant on multiple occasions with Professor Roger Fisher at Harvard Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers Negotiation Workshop. In 1993, Chuck completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program on Negotiation and chaired two regional ADR Conferences in 1997 and 1999. Chuck served as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Advisory Group and is a past president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter. Chuck is also a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) and a past president of IAM’s Board of Governors.

Experience and Sample Clients

• Outsourced Organizational Ombuds:   Completed ombuds training with the International Ombuds Association in 1995 and has served as an outsourced organizational ombuds for corporate, higher-ed, governmental, and non-profit clients since 1997. Also provides support to the ombuds community with consulting services designed to improve, reimagine, and support established and new offices and ombuds.
• General Motors:  Serves as a national mediator for disputes between Dealers and GM involving audit, incentive programs and fleet sales matters; Designed and led the GM Mediation and Arbitration Training Program which provided training to hundreds of GM Dealer and Corporate Mediators;  Responsible for oversight and design improvements of national mediation and arbitration program managed by MWI for General Motors;
• BMW of North America:  Mediator for variety of matters involving BMW Motor Cars and Motorcycles. Responsible for oversight and design improvements of national mediation and arbitration program managed by MWI for BMW of North America;
• USPS and EEOC:   Contract workplace and employment mediator with the United States Postal Service and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mediating federal discrimination, termination, and other matters relating to the workplace.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Distinguished Fellow and Executive Committee Board Member (Past President), Board of Governors – The International Academy of Mediators (IAM) (2013 – Present); Recipient of the Presidential Honor Award (2017);
• Appointed to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee (1999-2003);
• President and Director of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter (NE-ACR) (formerly the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution – SPIDR). Elected to serve as President and former President-Elect and Director of the six-state regional chapter of ACR International (1997-2004);
• Chair, Massachusetts Budget Coalition. Led statewide collaborative effort with 15 mediation providers across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to secure over $950,000 in legislative funding for court-connected mediation services (1997-2000);
• Advisory Board Member, Dispute Resolution Section, Massachusetts Bar Association (2018 to present).
• Arbitrator with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Fee Arbitration Board (1996 to present).

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Mediation Trainer. Designed and served as lead trainer for over seventy-five 20 to 40-hour basic and advanced training programs, totaling over 2250 hours since 1994. Mediation training clients include Coca-Cola, Bose Corporation, MWI, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, and the Harvard Mediation Program at Harvard Law School;
• Negotiation Instructor and Presenter. Chuck has worked nationally and internationally with top sales, procurement, and delivery professionals to diagnose and resolve negotiation challenges across multiple industries including financial/consulting, healthcare, and high-tech. Served as a negotiation instructor for the internationally attended “Program of Instruction for Lawyers” Negotiation Workshop at Harvard Law School as a teaching assistant to Professor Roger Fisher on multiple occasions.

Background and Education

• Graduate: Completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program On Negotiation, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA (1993);
• Undergraduate: B.A., Philosophy, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY; President Philosophy Club / Tenure Committee (1989).

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Mediating & Arbitrating with MWI
Phone: 617-895-4026 | Email: lpomerantz@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Lisa Pomerantz is an Arbitrator and Mediator with MWI. She also serves as a neutral on the American Arbitration Association Employment Panel, the EDNY Mediation Panel, and she has represented numerous employees and employers as settlement counsel in resolving various employment-related disputes involving statutory and/or contract claims.

Focus Areas

• Workplace
• Employment
• Higher Education
• Consumer Automotive
• Employment Discrimination
• Recruiter Commission Disputes
• FLSA and other statutory claims

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, EDNY Advisory Council (2020-2022)
• Past Co-Chair, Suffolk County Bar Association ADR Committee
• Past Board Member, New York State Dispute Resolution Association (2011-2015)
• Past Board Member, Association for Conflict Resolution (2014-2015)
• Recipient, Long Island Business News Leadership in Law Award (2011 and 2017)
• Recipient, Association for Conflict Resolution, Exemplary Leadership Award (2015)
• Author, “Workplace Violence Prevention: Personal Concerns and Professional
  Opportunities for Conflict Resolution Practitioners”, ACResolution Magazine, Summer 2014

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Adjunct Professor, Touro Law School, 2021, Employment Law
• Adjunct Professor, Touro Law School, (2018 to date), Courses taught include: Arbitration, Interviewing
  Negotiation, and Counseling
• Visiting Instructor, University of Tartu, Estonia (2018, 2019), Negotiation and Conflict
  Resolution
• Visiting Instructor, Vilnius University, Lithuania (2019), Emerging Legal Issues in the 21st Century
  Workplace

Representative Speaking Engagements

• “The Value of Transparency in Mediation”, 2020 Annual Conferences of Association for Conflict Resolution and New York State Dispute Resolution Association;
• “Common Attributes and Challenges of High-Emotion Conflicts in the Workplace and Family Business Settings”, International Mediation Symposium (2019)
• “Business Partnerships: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” Stony Brook Small Business Development Center (2019)
• “Building Your Business Through Diversity and Inclusion”, Suffolk Academy of Law (2018)

Background and Education

• Boston University (JD-1979)
• Harvard University (BA, Economics and History, cum laude-1976)

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Mediating Workplace & Employment Matters with MWI
Phone: 617-895-4026 | Email: mejohnson@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Marvin Johnson is a mediator with MWI and the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, the first dispute resolution center founded in the University of Maryland System at Bowie State University. He is a nationally recognized mediator, arbitrator, and trainer with more than 30 years of dispute resolution experience. Mr. Johnson was Professor of Labor Relations, Law, and Dispute Resolution at Bowie State University (16 years) and was Adjunct Professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (4 years). He provides diversity and dispute resolution training and lectures extensively on the subject of conflict management. Mr. Johnson has been recognized by three Presidents of the U.S., a Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, a Governor of Maryland, a Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, and a County Executive for Prince George’s County, MD for his dispute resolution expertise. He has served on numerous national dispute resolution boards and panels, including the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution, the International Academy of Mediators, the American Arbitration Association, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Mr. Johnson received a B.B.A. from Kent State University, an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, and a J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

ADR Awards

• Maryland State Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution’s Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Award for Outstanding Contribution to ADR in Maryland (2010)
• New York State Dispute Resolution Association’s Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award for advocating peaceful means for resolving conflict (2009)
• The Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) Institute’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in Alternative Dispute Resolution (2009)
• Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) announced the creation of the Marvin E. Johnson Diversity and Equity Award, as a tribute to Mr. Johnson’s diversity efforts within Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (SPIDR) and ACR and throughout the dispute resolution field (2007)
• Catholic University, Columbus School of Law honored him with the Black Law Students Association Alumni Achievement Award (2007)
• American College of Civil Trial Mediators’ “2006 Lifetime Achievement Award” for his major contributions to the ADR field (2006)
• Named by Mediate.com as one of the thirty-one “best known and most experienced mediators in the world” (The Mediators: Views from the Eye of the Storm, Volume 1, DVD-2005)

Memberships (Professional Organizations)

• American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution (former Council Member)
• American Bar Association, Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
• American College of Civil Trial Mediators
• International Academy of Mediators (former Board Member)
• Association for Conflict Resolution (former Board Member)
• Society of Federal Labor Relations Professionals (former Board Member)
• Pennsylvania Bar Association

ADR Panel Member

• Federal Service Impasses Panel (September 2009- present)
• CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Employment and Fair Housing
• Foreign Service Grievance Board (2005-2007)
• Maryland State Labor Relations Board (2002-2003)
• Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel (2000-2002)
• Federal Service Impasses Panel (1999-2002)
• US Postal REDRESS (1998-present)
• Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (1984-present)
• American Arbitration Association National Rosters of Neutrals (1984-present)

Publications

• Author of many articles on ADR and diversity, including “ADR Techniques and Procedures Flowing Through Porous Boundaries: Flooding the ADR Landscape and Confusing the Public” (Practical Dispute Resolution, Volume 5, No. 1, 2010); “The Gated Community – Risk Aversion, Race, and the Lack of Diversity in Mediation in the Top Ranks” (Dispute Resolution Magazine , Spring 2009); “Racial Profiling in America: The Problem and the Challenge” (ACR Resolution Magazine, Fall 2003); “Adjusting to Changing Priorities” (2002); and “Emotionally Intelligent Mediation: Four Key Competencies” (Dispute Resolution Alert, Volume 5, No. 3, 2005; Practical Dispute Resolution, Volume 2 , No. 2, 2001)

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Skill-Based Mediation Training–40 Hours (1984 to 2011)
• Assessing Our Internal GPS (Global Positioning System) When Navigating Cultural Diversity and Conflict (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• Advanced Mediation Training (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008,2009)
• How Diversity and Culture Add to Successful Resolution (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Annual Conference, April 2011)
• The Challenge of Maintaining Our Equilibrium (FEMA, May 2011)
• Racial and Ethnic Underrepresented Groups in the Dispute Resolution Field: Barriers, Promises and Challenges for ADR Professionals (National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, April 29, 2010)
• Critical Settlement Skills – An Introduction to Interest Based Bargaining Techniques (FLRA, March 2010, April 2010, May 2010)
• Navigating Transitions through Conflict (NYDRA, Annual Conference, October 2009)
• Arbitration Advocacy Workshop (NEA, July 2005-2011)
• Help or Hinder: Attorney Techniques That Will Affect Your Client at the Mediation Table (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Annual Spring Conference, April 2007)
• Culture, Conflict and Diversity: A Barrier To or an Opportunity for Success (Coalition University-NACCHO, November 2007)
• Conflict Resolution Training (Montgomery County ECC, December 15, 2006)
• ADR – What is it? How to use it. What’s your role? (NACVA Maryland State Chapter, Fall 2006)
• Arbitration Skills Training (NTEU, 2006)
• Mediation Advocacy (Arnold and Porter, 2006)
• Increasing Our Market Share: Promoting Mediation at the Micro- and Macro-Levels (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Annual Conference, April 2005)
• Grievance Review Board Training (Academy for Educational Development, October 2005)
• Managing Conflict in the Workplace (MACRO, October 2005)
• Advanced Mediation and Advocacy Skills (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Annual Conference, 2004)
• Breaking Impasse: Techniques Mediators Use to Avoid or Break an Impasse (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Annual Conference, April 2004)
• Representing Clients in Mediation (National Bar Association, 2002)
• Effective Dispute Resolution in Negotiation and Advocacy (Maryland State- Attorney General’s Office, 2001)

Background and Education

• Mediator, Arbitrator, and Trainer, Accormend Associates, 1984-present
• Executive Director, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1986-present
• Associate Professor, Labor Relations, Law, and Dispute Resolution, Bowie State University, 1983-2000
• Director of Legal Programs, National Academy of Conciliators, 1983-1984
• Assistant Counsel, National Treasury Employees Union, 1981-1983
• Attorney, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Office of the General Counsel, 1980-1981
• Law Clerk, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Office of the General Counsel, 1979-1980
• Legal Research Assistant, National Football League Players Association, Legal Department, 1978-1979
• Federal Labor Relations Specialist, Dept. of Labor-Management Services Administration, Office of Federal Labor-Management Relations, 1974-1978
• Labor Economist, Department of Labor, Labor-Management Services Administration, 1974
• Catholic University Law School, J.D., 1980
• University of Wisconsin, M.S. Industrial Relations, 1974
• Kent State University, B.B.A., 1972

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Ombuds, Mediation, and Trainer
617-895-4029 | dchiang@mwi.org

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Diana Chiang is a Mediator and Manager of Commercial & Corporate Programs at Mediation Works, Inc. (MWI). As a mediator, Ms. Chiang has mediated a variety of cases in Massachusetts District, Municipal, and Probate & Family Courts, harassment prevention orders, corporate & workplace, and housing/eviction cases.

Diana is also a member of MWI’s training faculty and leads corporate and academic ADR training programs. Diana has a certification in Applied Positive Psychology and is an accredited ACTP Coach through The Flourishing Center and also serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Association for Conflict Resolution.

She earned a B.A. in Sociology & Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Diana was an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire, before teaching negotiation at Suffolk University Law School.

Focus Areas

• Organizational Ombuds
• Basic and Advanced Mediation Trainer
• Corporate & Workplace Mediation
• EAP Mediation and Training
• Housing and Eviction Mediation and Training

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Board of Directors of the New England Association for Conflict Resolution
• Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire
• Suffolk University Law School, Negotiation Instructor

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court – Mediation Trainer
• Collaborative Communication, Lead Trainer
• Active Listening Skills – Ombuds Client
• Advanced Dispute Resolution Training Programs for Probation Officers of the Probate and Family Court, Instructor
• Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Mediation Training, Lead Trainer
• 40 Hour Mediation Training Programs, Mediation Trainer
• Multiple Mediation Training Programs, Coach

Background and Education

• J.D. from Suffolk University Law School
• Advanced Divorce & Family Mediation Training
• Massachusetts Mediation Training, Trained Mediator
• B.A. in Sociology & Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire

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Mediating & Arbitrating Land Court Cases
Case Manger: Josh Hoch,  617-895-4028 | jhoch@mwi.org 

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Lisa Pomerantz is an Arbitrator and Mediator with MWI’s Real Estate, Construction, and Land Use Panel. She also serves as a neutral on MWI’s workplace and employment Panel as well as on the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial,  Employment and Consumer Panels, the EDNY Mediation Panel,  and various New York State mediation panels. She is available for arbitrations and mediations in Boston, New York, and remotely.

Focus Areas

• Construction, architectural services and interior design agreements and disputes
• Real estate brokerage and management agreements
• Commercial leasing
• Property damage claims
• Family and closely held business disputes

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, EDNY Advisory Council (2020-2022)
• Past Co-Chair, Suffolk County Bar Association ADR Committee
• Past Board Member, New York State Dispute Resolution Association (2011-2015)
• Past Board Member, Association for Conflict Resolution (2014-2015)
• Recipient, Long Island Business News Leadership in Law Award (2011 and 2017)
• Recipient, Association for Conflict Resolution, Exemplary Leadership Award (2015)

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Adjunct Professor, Touro Law School, (2018 to date), Courses taught include: Interviewing, Negotiation, and Counseling, Arbitration,  and Employment Law
• Visiting Instructor, University of Tartu, Estonia (2018, 2019), Negotiation and Conflict
  Resolution

Representative Speaking Engagements

• “The Value of Transparency in Mediation”, 2020 Annual Conferences of Association for Conflict Resolution and New York State Dispute Resolution Association;
• “Common Attributes and Challenges of High-Emotion Conflicts in the Workplace and Family Business Settings”, International Mediation Symposium (2019)
• “Business Partnerships: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” Stony Brook Small Business Development Center (2019)
• “Making the Most of Real Estate and Commercial ADR”, New York State Bar Association (2016

Background and Education

• Boston University (JD-1979)
• Harvard University (BA, Economics and History, cum laude-1976)

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Arbitrating & Mediating Business, Commercial, Land Use and Construction Cases
617-895-4028 | Case Manager: Josh Hoch

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Joseph Vrabel joined MWI’s Real Estate and Construction Mediation & Arbitration Panel in 2014.  His mediation and arbitration experience includes business and commercial disputes. Mr. Vrabel has been a long-time member of MCLE and served as both the President of its Board of Directors and as the President of its Board of Overseers. Mr. Vrabel currently serves as General Counsel to Ultimate Defense Technologies LLC.

Mr. Vrabel is the author of numerous publications and has been requested to speak before various legal and non-legal groups. Additionally, Mr. Vrabel is a frequent speaker on topics such as business law and commercial finance. Mr. Vrabel currently teaches Business Law in the MBA program at the University of North Carolina School of Business (Kenan-Flagler Institute) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Previously, Mr. Vrabel taught the undergraduate Business Law course at Babson College as well as the graduate Business Law course in the Babson College MBA program.

Focus Areas

• Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning
• Commercial finance and commercial real estate, corporate governance, the formation of business entities and general corporate law.
• Extensive experience in all varieties of commercial bank loans, bonds, financings, health care financings, private placements, workout situations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and all types of business transactions.
• Other areas of practice include general corporate representation, particularly situations including investment strategies, and business planning.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators
• Member, American Arbitration Panel of Mediators
• Board Member and current Vice-President of Conservation Trust for North Carolina
• Past President, Massachusetts Bar Association
• Past President, Massachusetts Bar Foundation
• Trustee and Life Member, Massachusetts Bar Foundation
• Former Member, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Education
• Past President, Massachusetts City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association, 1989-1990

Lectures and Publications

• Municipal Law Manual for MCLE;
• Author, monthly “Legal Affairs” column for American Planning Association;
• Newsletter, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island chapters;
• Editor, Crockers Notes on Common Forms: Chapter on Foreclosure;
• Author, “Zoning Freezes: Heritage Park v. Town of Southbridge”, Massachusetts
• Conveyancer Association Publication, The Conveyancer, Fall 1997, Vol. 16, No. 4
• “Municipal Law Update” – MCLE; – Chairman; Speaker on Land Use and Zoning Update;
• “Land Use & Zoning Update” – Annual Meeting of City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association, Yearly Programs;
• “Land Use and Zoning Case Law Update” – Annual meeting of Massachusetts
• Association of Planning Directors, Yearly Programs;
• LLP’s and LLC’s: Practical Advice – MCLE; November 26, 1995 – Chairman

Background and Education

• A., Lake Forest College, 1970
• D., Boston College Law School, 1973
• Mediator Certification, Harvard Law School, 1997
• Adjust Professor of Business Law, Babson College, Graduate – MBA Program, Wellesley, MA, 1987-1995
• Professor, University of North Carolina School of Government Master of Public Administration Program, Chapel Hill, NC 2011-2021
• Professor, University of North Carolina School of Business (Kenan-Flagler Institute), 2018-present

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Arbitrating & Mediating Land Use and Construction Cases
617-895-4028 | Case Manager: Josh Hoch

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Rosemary Macero is an Arbitrator and Mediator on MWI’s Real Estate and Construction Panel. Ms. Macero’s 34 years of legal experience have provided her with the foundation to adequately mediate and arbitrate cases that include land use, construction, and real estate matters. She currently is an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau and volunteers as a mediator for MWI and the Lowell District Court.

Ms. Macero is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. She has been published three times in Condo Media Magazine and is a member of the American Bar Association as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association. She is a former adjunct faculty member at four Massachusetts institutions and speaks fluent Spanish.

Focus Areas

• Mediation and arbitration services related to:
  • General contractors
  • Design professionals
  • Specialty subcontractors
  • Construction safety regulations
  • Commercial finance and commercial real estate, corporate governance, the formation of business entities and general corporate law

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• United States Bankruptcy Court Mediation list
• Arbitrator with the Better Business Bureau
• Former Special Assistant Attorney General charged with enforcing wage, labor and construction safety regulations
• Frequent lecturer for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc
• Member of Civil Litigation Council of Massachusetts Bar Association
• Moderator – Massachusetts Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Program – Audio Visual Depositions
• Adjunct Faculty Business Law Southern New Hampshire University and Cambridge College
• Former Adjunct Faculty, Emmanuel College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Bentley University, Middlesex Community College and Sanford Brown/formerly Gibbs College

Lectures and Publications

Background and Education

• B.A., Tufts University, 1981
• J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester New Hampshire, 2015-present
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law, Cambridge College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2012-present
• Adjunct Professor of Business and Sports Law, Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts, 2010-2015
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, Massachusetts, 2011
• Adjunct Professor of Legal Specialties and Business Law, Gibbs College, Boston, Massachusetts, 2009-2010
• Adjunct Professor of Paralegal Studies, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, 1996-2003

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Mediator and Arbitrator
617-895-4028 | Case Manager: Josh Hoch

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Howard Gorney combines over forty years as a commercial attorney with his mediation and arbitration skills to assist parties in reaching resolution of land use, consumer automotive, real estate, franchise, and construction disputes. He has mediated over 150 commercial matters since becoming a mediator in 2006. In addition, Mr. Gorney’s mediation and arbitration experience ranges from resolution of complex business issues to matters involving construction, general real estate disputes, franchise and bankruptcy in amounts extending into multi-millions of dollars. He has served on the MWI mediation and arbitration panels for the resolution of franchise contract disputes, including several for General Motors LLC and BMW of North America. Mr. Gorney has arbitrated over 40 construction cases for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and presently serves as an arbitrator for FINRA, the regulatory arm of the financial services industry pertaining to allegations of broker misconduct. Drawing upon his vast experience as a commercial and bankruptcy attorney, he also mediates cases involving complex Chapter 11 cases in both the New York and Delaware bankruptcy courts, as well as the recently-formed mediation program in the Massachusetts bankruptcy court, which Mr. Gorney helped to formulate. A lecturer and author of many articles on bankruptcy, commercial law and franchising, Mr. Gorney received a Bachelor’s Degree from the U. of Vermont, a Master’s Degree from U. of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Suffolk U. Law School, MA. He is admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts; U.S. District Court (District of MA); United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit, and The United States Supreme Court.

Focus Areas

• Mediator, General Motors Dealer/Factory Disputes involving, among other issues SFE, bonus disputes, sale for resale and franchise termination.
• Arbitrator, Consumer Automotive
• Arbitrator, Construction Disputes, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Disputes include allegations of faulty construction, change orders and overcharges.
• Arbitrator, FINRA (formerly known as NASD), disputes include allegations of broker misconduct, churning of accounts and unauthorized investment.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Law Firm of Nixon Peabody LLP, Boston, MA 1988‐2006
• Partner 1988‐2004
• Senior Counsel 2003‐2006
• Chairman of Commercial Law Dept. 1996‐1998
• Chairman and Member of Executive Committee 1992‐1999
• Executive Director, Home Builders Assoc. of Greater Lowell, Lowell, MA 1974‐1976

Background and Education

• Member, Mediation Panels: U. S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of NY,
• Panel Arbitrator, Mass. Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
• Suffolk University, Boston, MA, Juris Doctor 1974
• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, Master of Arts 1965
• University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, Bachelor of Arts 1964

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Mediating Family and Divorce Cases
617-895-4028 | divorce@mwi.org

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Vanessa Linsey is a family mediator with MWI. Vanessa mediates a variety of cases for Massachusetts District, Municipal, and Probate and Family Courts, including: divorce, parenting plans, never-married parents, staying married, small claims, and harassment prevention orders.

Vanessa is also a certified mindfulness teacher with a decade of experience teaching insight practices and mindful communication. In 2019, she published a prescriptive memoir on mindful parenting in a modern family. Vanessa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication with honors from Bridgewater State University. She trained in Professional Mediation at Cornell University.

Vanessa has been a stepmother for 20 years. With three children and four stepchildren ages eight to 28, she has been through it all. She understands the power of productive conversation and sees family mediation as an opportunity for growth and transformation through reimagined relationships.

Focus Areas

• Mediation to Stay Married
• Parent / Teen Mediation
• Stepfamily Mediation
• Divorce Mediation
• COVID 19 Parenting Plan changes / requests for changes
• Adult Sibling Disputes
• Child Support
• Never Married Parents Mediation
• Same-sex Divorce Mediation
• Harassment Prevention Orders

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Author, Metta Mom, A Mindful Guide to Managing Your Mood & Your Brood
• Mediator, MWI Divorce and Family Mediation Panel
• Mediator, Massachusetts District & Municipal Courts
• Founder, Chrysalis Meditation Center
• Speaker, Well Summit
• Certified Lifeboat Commander, Holland America Line

Background and Education

• BA in Speech Communications, with honors, Bridgewater State University, 1999
• Professional Mediation Program, Cornell University
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Tools Practicum, University of Massachusetts
• Meditation Teacher Training, Boston Buddha

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Mediating Divorce & Family Cases via Zoom
617-895-4028 | divorce@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Ben Stich is a family and divorce mediator with MWI. He mediates conflicts of all kinds, specializing in family disputes. He mediates divorce, co-parenting conflict, and marital issues. Ben also mediates all types of family disputes such as conflict between parents and their adult children; adult siblings; and parents and their teenage children. Ben also helps families improve their co-parenting as an instructor for the state’s only High Conflict Parent Education program at William James College.

In addition to mediating, Ben is certified in the Think:Kids Collaborate Problem Solving© model and works with Think:Kids at MGH’s Department of Psychiatry to help families, educators, and clinicians work effectively with children and teens who exhibit challenging behaviors .

Ben is a licensed independent clinical social worker and an active member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation and the Massachusetts’ chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Focus Areas

• Divorce for short-term and long-term marriages
• Co-Parenting plans
• Custody disputes
• Parent-Teen Conflict
• Marriage Problems
• Interim separation agreements
• Asset and liability division
• Property division
• High conflict divorce matters
• Elder and estate disputes

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, Massachusetts Council for Family Mediation (MCFM)
• Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW)
• School Adjustment Counselor License
• Member, National Association of Social Workers
• Collaborative Problem Solving Certification from Mass General’s Department of Psychiatry’s Think:Kids program
• Member, AFCC

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted & Publications

• “Better Parent” Parent Education Program, June 2016 – August 2021
• Parenting Apart Instructor for the Divorce Center, 2014 – 2016
• Communication and Conflict Blogger, 2013 – present
• Communication Workshop for the Parent/Professional Advocacy League, 2014
• High Conflict Divorce Mediation Training, 2013
• Collaborative Problem Solving for:
  – Canton School District, Central Cabinet, 2011-2012
  – MENTOR Network – Therapeutic Foster Care Program, 2011
  – Massachusetts School Counselors Association – Guidance Administrators Forum, 2011
• More Than Words, Workplace Communication Workshop, 2010
• Germaine Lawrence, Family Communication Workshop, Co-Facilitator, (2001 – 2005)
• Residential Treatment for Adolescent Girls for:
  – National Child Welfare League of America Conference (2005)
  – MASOC Annual Conference (2005-2009)
  – Tenth National Workshop on Adult and Juvenile Female Offenders (2003)

Background and Education

• M.Ed in Organizational Development, Endicott College
• MSW, Boston College, 2001
• BA, Trinity College, 1996

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Mediating Divorce Cases via Zoom
617-895-4028 | divorce@mwi.org

Dispute Resolution Experience

Daniele Ozeri has been a divorce and family mediator with MWI since the summer of 2017. She has a Master’s degree in conflict management and resolution from Bar-Ilan University, Israel. She is the editor of a book entitled “Re-Envisioning Conflict Resolution: Vision, Action and Evaluation in Creative Conflict Engagement” published in 2017 by Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution. Daniele has extensive experience mediating a variety of cases ranging from mediations in the labor courts in Tel-Aviv, identity-based conflicts in Jerusalem, and consumer disputes and divorce cases in Boston.

Representative Matters

• Divorce Mediation
• Parenting Plans
• Child Support
• Property Division
• Identity-based disputes
• South Boston Municipal Court cases
• Dorchester District Court cases

Professional Affiliations

• Herbert C. Kelman Institute for Interactive Conflict Transformation
• ARIA Group for Conflict Engagement
• Forward Thinking, Frontline Mediation
• Bar-Ilan University
• Israel Democracy Institute

Background and Education

• Smith College (B.A., 2012)
• Bar-Ilan University, Israel (M.A. in Conflict Management & Resolution, 2017)
• Mediation Training Program, Certificate of Completion, MWI, 2017
• Advanced Divorce Mediation Training Program, Certificate of Completion, October 2017

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Serving as an Ombuds & Mediating Divorce, Family, Housing and Employment Matters with MWI
Case Manager: Josh Hoch: 617-895-4028 | jhoch@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Nnena Odim is a mediator, ombuds, attorney, trainer, and consultant. She has been mediating since 1997, and has mediated disputes involving issues such as employment, housing, business, consumer, academic/higher education, and the full range of family/domestic relations (divorce, unmarried parents, elder care, adoption, etc.). Nnena has also designed and/or led conflict management trainings for several local and national businesses and agencies, including the Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts Housing Authority, Neighborhood Works, Coca-Cola, and Netflix. In addition to her mediation and conflict resolution training background, Nnena is trained by the International Ombuds Association and has served as an ombuds for CVS, American Planning Association, and several local construction companies. After 25 years, Nnena has recently retired from Harvard Law School, where she was the Director and Senior Clinical Instructor of the Family/Domestic Violence Law Clinic at Harvard’s Legal Services Center. In addition to being an active practicing attorney in Massachusetts Family and Probate Courts, she provided experiential training to law students and taught them how to become effective and ethical attorneys.

Nnena has worked with the Harvard Mediation Program (HMP) and Harvard Program on Negotiation to provide trainings for students and community members, and to supervise Harvard Law School students in their mediation and negotiation studies. She served as a faculty and coach of mediation skills for trainings at Suffolk and Boston College Law Schools, MIT, and New England School of Law. Nnena has also served on numerous panels and speaking rosters for a variety of topics, including those on self-care and mental health for students and faculty, establishing boundaries in a professional setting, race and gender, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Nnena is a member of the HMP Advisory Board. In 2019, Nnena was honored by the Harvard Women’s Law Association International Committee. In 2015, she received the Harvard Law School Dean’s Award for Excellence, and in 2013, Nnena was a Top Women in the Law award recipient from Mass. Lawyers Weekly.

Focus Areas

• Outsourced Organizational Ombuds
• Conference Ombuds
• Workplace and Employment Mediation
• Worked with over 100 same-sex couples in both mediation and litigation, on a variety of legal scenarios, such as 2nd parent adoptions, divorce (with and without children), paternity, business dissolution, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and donor agreements for sperm donation
• Drafted over 100 post-mediation Settlement Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding
• Guardian ad Litem, appointed by Suffolk and Middlesex County Family and Probate Courts

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Top Women in the Law award recipient, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2013
• Member, Association for Conflict Resolution
• Member, American Bar Association
• Licensed Real Estate Broker

Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

• Training faculty for MWI’s annual Advanced Divorce Training
• Guest lecturer for Suffolk and Boston College Law Schools’ mediation courses

Background and Education

• J.D., Northeastern University School of Law (1997)
• M.S., University of Massachusetts/Amherst (1991)
• B.S., University of Pittsburgh (1985)

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