Mediator Resume

Sole practitioner

Attorney

Partner, London & Mead, 1989 - Present.

More than 45 years' experience of complex commercial and civil litigation, including regular representation of lawyers and law firms in issues involving governance and management; has served as expert witness on standard of care in commercial litigation; provided representation for corporations and international organizations to conduct internal investigations on matters which involving financial dealings, personnel, conflict of interests, and compensation decisions; served as primary outside litigation counsel to Giant Food for approximately 15 years and handled or supervised cases involving class action race discrimination claims, internal financial defalcation, a wide variety of commercial disputes with suppliers and vendors, and cases involving real estate issues, as Giant had been a large landlord, tenant, purchaser and seller of real estate in the DC/ Baltimore area; trial experience in cases around the country in all aspects of commercial litigation, civil conspiracy, denial of insurance coverage, law firm partnership disputes, construction of hotel and aluminum refinery, joint venture real estate issues, complex divorce, and wide variety of breach of contract and civil fraud. In private practice, we represented Relators in False Claims Act cases resulting in more than $500 million in settlements. We also represented Defendants sued under the FCA. Few firms have experience on both sides of the caption.

Thirty years' experience as mediator in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and nearly 15 years with the AAA. Cases have been varied with majority in the field of commercial disputes, i.e., contract and civil fraud claims. Several cases have involved disputes among lawyers, either break-up issues or fee disputes. Several disputes have involved governmental entities, including alleged torts in a class action setting and class action claims for entitlements. Private mediator experience involving False Claims Act cases employment contract dispute, and law firm break up issues.

Cases from the District Court follow the pattern of the cases filed, varied in scope and subject matter. Most cases have included commercial claims for breach of contract, both individuals suing corporations and corporations suing each other. These cases tend to be large, as there is a threshold jurisdictional limit, and cases involving commercial contract disputes often include a claim for civil fraud. Cases involve claims against governmental entities often alleging violations of various federal statutes arising, most often in an employment setting. Two cases have included class action claims, one involving special education issues and the other arising from claims relating to incarceration. Internal law firm disputes, involving departures and compensation, are those most susceptible to mediation, as judges are hesitant to welcome warring lawyers to use their courtrooms. As a private mediator, has handled two False Claims Act cases, and recently mediated an employment dispute over the interpretation of an employment contract between a country club and one of its senior managers.

Mature parties to a dispute recognize that their differences will be resolved by a third party neutral, either in combat or a negotiating table. Mediation provides an attractive alternative to the exorbitant costs of litigation, and it gives the parties have the opportunity to participate in the outcome of the matter. Recent statistics show that less than 2% of civil cases in the federal system actually go to judgment. To this end, mediation gives parties "their day in court" before they incur all of the expense and risk associated with arbitration/litigation to conclusion. As a mediator, my first goal is to allow the parties to have the opportunity to air their grievances, assert their merits and assess their strengths and uncertainties. The parties will only succeed in mediation when they have had the opportunity to persuade the mediator of their convictions, and then slowly appreciate that this is not a perfect world, devoid of risk. To this end, a good mediator needs to be a good litigator in order to argue each side effectively and, obviously, a good listener. A mediator needs to push parties to compromise at the same time they retain ownership of the outcome. Not an easy task. This takes time. Mediation requires patience on the party of all the participants, as well as recognition of the costs of the failure of mediation.

George Washington University School of Law (JD - 1979); Amherst College (BA - 1974).

Admitted to the Bar: District of Columbia (1979), Maryland (1990).

American Bar Association

Co-author, THE LAST FOREST: THE AMAZON IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION, Random House, 2007; co-author, THE FOUR LITTLE DRAGONS: INSIDE KOREA, TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE AT THE DAWN OF THE PACIFIC CENTURY, Simon & Schuster, 1989; co-author, AMAZON, Harcourt Brace, Jovanovich, 1983.

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $3,850.00 Study Rate: $550.00/hr Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: Not provided Comment:

English; Portuguese; Spanish

United States of America

Chevy Chase, Maryland