After a career as a successful trial attorney and senior legal executive, I know that there are usually better ways to resolve disputes than through litigation, and I have spent over 30 years honing the skills and insights that create the foundation to help parties do so. I have always been a successful problem solver, and have a demonstrated ability to understand complex problems, opposing viewpoints, and party dynamics. I bring a practical, results-oriented approach to every mediation, and while I know that not every dispute will or should settle, I also know that in most instances, an agreed upon outcome is the best outcome for everyone concerned, and I work hard to help the parties accomplish this.
Based on my experience, I have been certified as a mediator by the American Arbitration Association and the American Health Law Association.
I began my career as a regulatory attorney in Washington DC; I later returned to my home state of Maine and was for several years a trial attorney at Pierce Atwood, Maine’s largest firm, where I handled a wide variety of civil litigation. Following that, I was an attorney at a Fortune 500 company where I held a number of business and legal positions, including Deputy General Counsel overseeing the company’s litigation, employment, public policy, claims and insurance matters.
Throughout my career, I have been a member and a leader in numerous professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Financial Services Roundtable, and the Volunteer Lawyer’s Project.
I have also been involved in a number of non-profits, including most recently serving on the Board of The YMCA of Southern Maine (Chair), The Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine (Executive Committee) and The Mitchell Institute.
My practice includes a focus on all aspects of employee benefits litigation, including ERISA and non-ERISA life, health, disability and accident matters.
As a mediator, I am guided by a number of important lessons I have garnered over my career: listening is often more helpful than talking; establishing trust is a critical component in almost every conflict resolution; clear and transparent communications greatly enhance the opportunity for resolution; understanding the law is important, but generally not as important as understanding people; and the financial, emotional, and productivity costs of trial rarely justify the stress of an uncertain outcome.
I work hard to understand complex problems, opposing viewpoints, and party dynamics, and bring a practical, results-oriented approach to every mediation, providing disputing parties the best opportunity to resolve their differences.
University of California, Los Angeles, JD; Brown University, BA
$500/hour for preparation and mediation, with an eight hour minimum for each case.
