Ms. Allen is an internationally recognized mediator, arbitrator and ADR service provider. She has worked in conflict management for over twenty-five years. As a licensed business and tax attorney, she delivers ADR services throughout the world in a diverse spectrum of commercial, civil, business and cultural matters. She is an ADR educator designing, authoring and teaching basic and advanced ADR curriculum, communication and conflict management, and conflict resolution programs to mediators, arbitrators, judges, advocates, and corporate personnel/HR management teams throughout the world.
Ms. Allen’s career in conflict resolution began while serving as corporate and personal tax counsel for multiple clients in her business practice. A former law school professor turned counselor/litigator she now uses her professional experience to aid in preventing, managing and resolving conflict. She obtained ADR training and education from multiple Universities and Award winning programs and now teaches in the discipline worldwide. She maintains an active practice as a full time mediator, aribtrator, facilitator and ADR educator/trainer. Ms. Allen is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators and served as its President during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. She also maintains membership on several national and international ADR service provider panels.
Ms. Allen delivers mediation and conflict management services to national and international clients. Her case load spans simple and complex, multi-party matters in commercial/business, employment, health care, tax, securities, real estate, probate and public policy matters. Examples of her engagements invovle disputes requiring interpretation and understanding of complex financial records/data, negotiated business transactions, covenants not to compete/non solicitation, business and stockholder buy-sell agreements, legal and accounting malpractice involving tax matters, executive compensation disputes, estate planning, health care provider disputes, and securities matters. Her extensive experience as an ADR program designer/teacher provides a unique perspective on the dimensions of conflict management and resolution. Ms. Allen has also completed extensive training in family and domestic mediation. She also assists businesses in conflict prevention and management, systems design, facilitating strategic planning, family and business succession planning and corporate governance. Ms. Allen serves on several court rosters and provider panels worldwide. She has also served as a Special Master in commercial litgated matters and as an arbitrator and mediator in multi-party class action disputes.
Ideally, each mediation or ADR engagement commences with a pre-process/mediation conference among the key participant representatives. This event can be in person or telephonic. A purpose is to identify the needs of the participants and assist the stakeholders in creating their own unique, custom designed process. This is also an opportunity to learn what the participants expect of Ms. Allen as the mediator, dialogue leader, facilitator, etc. Deference to, and active participation of parties and their representatives, is encouraged with permission of counsel. Caucus is included in the mediation model as are mediator numbers, suggestions and solutions when requested by the participants.
As an arbitrator, Ms. Allen strive to design a process that is appropriate to the dispute and the disputants. She aims to provide expedient and effective processes to parties and counsel.
Ms. Allen graduated from the University of Michigan with High Honors and continued graduate school at the University before attending law school at Wayne State University. Ms. Allen received her JD cum laude and an LLM in Taxation from Wayne State University Law School. She is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan, the US Tax Court, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States Supreme Court.
Case charges for arbitraiton or mediation are based on a per diem or hourly rate, plus expenses, as agreed to in advance by the participants. ADR trainings are billed on a flat fee plus expenses and materials, as agreed to in advance. Fees for systems design, conflict management, facilitation and communication programs are as negotiated on a project by project basis. Generally programs or sessions conducted at Ms. Allen’s office are not subject to room rental charges.
