Mediator Resume

Seasoned labor and employment attorney and neutral with 30 years of experience navigating complex workplace disputes, including as lead counsel in more than 500 litigated matters. Known for an even, practical style and an ability to engage constructively with parties and counsel, grounded in decades of experience assessing facts, witnesses, and legal exposure across diverse industries. Nationwide practice includes admission to the state bars of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, as well as extensive experience in federal court and arbitration proceedings.

Pierson Ferdinand, LLP - Partner

Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator

Partner, Pierson Ferdinand, LLP, 2026 - Present; Partner, Holland & Knight LLP (formerly Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP), 1998 - 2026; Assistant Attorney General, Alabama Office of the Attorney General, Constitutional and Complex Litigation Division, 1996 - 1998.

Extensive litigation and ADR experience across the country with complex workplace disputes, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage and hour, leave and accommodation, whistleblower, and restrictive covenant matters. Experience includes class and collective actions; EEOC enforcement actions; exemption misclassification and off-the-clock claims; noncompetition and contract disputes; and related statutory and common law claims. Regularly called upon in high-stakes matters requiring assessment of credibility, risk, and potential outcomes across diverse range of industries.

Rule 31 Listed Mediator, Tennessee Supreme Court (2019–present). Have mediated individual, multiparty, and class workplace disputes, including claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, leave and accommodation, and contract issues.

I approach mediation as a structured but flexible process that takes account of both the legal issues and the human realities of workplace disputes. I review pre-mediation submissions carefully and come to each mediation prepared, drawing on decades of experience as a litigator and neutral to assess the strengths, risks, and practical dynamics at play. Mediation is most effective when participants feel heard and understood, and I emphasize careful listening and respectful engagement with parties and counsel. My goal is to help parties reach outcomes they view as fair and workable, rather than resolutions driven simply by compromise for its own sake.

Comfortable conducting mediations, arbitrations, and conferences in both in-person and virtual settings. Regularly uses Zoom and Microsoft Teams for hearings, mediations, and pre-session conferences. Experienced with electronic filing, document exchange, and management of electronically stored information. Utilizes online legal research platforms and AI-assisted tools as part of case preparation and analysis.

Samford University, Cumberland School of Law (J.D., cum laude - 1996); University of Florida (B.S.B.A., Finance (major) & Sociology (minor) - 1991).

Admitted to the bar: Alabama (1996), Georgia (1998), Tennessee (1999), Arkansas (2010), Kentucky (2014), Mississippi (2018); numerous federal district courts; U.S. Court of Appeals: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court.

Tennessee Bar Association, Labor and Employment Committee; Kentucky Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section; Alabama State Bar, Labor and Employment Section; Mississippi Bar, Labor and Employment Law Section; Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation; Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation; Member, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.

Invited presenter, Tennessee Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Forum, Employment Law Update (2021–2025); Invited speaker, FDCC Annual Corporate Counsel Conference (2025), Best Practices in Arbitration of Employment Disputes; Invited speaker, Alabama State Bar Labor and Employment Section Annual Seminar (2024), Adverse Employment Actions Post-Muldrow; Invited speaker, DRI Employment and Labor Law Section Annual Seminar (2024), Workplace Investigations and Mitigation of Whistleblower and Retaliation Risks; Invited Speaker, DRI Employment and Labor Law Section Annual Seminar (2026), Year in Review Case Update.

Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $7,500.00 Study Rate: Not provided Cancellation: $1,500.00/Day Cancellation Period: 7 Days Comment: Daily rate includes preparation time and assumes two parties/groups negotiating ($3750 per party). Disputes with three or more negotiating parties billed at daily rate of $3750 per party. Class actions, collective actions, and EEOC enforcement actions billed at daily rate of $6000 per negotiating party/group. No charge for up to four hours of air travel time (round trip from Nashville) and up to two hours of drive time (round trip), with reasonable transportation and lodging to be reimbursed at actual cost. Additional travel time, if any, billed at $375/hr per party. Mediator assumes all other travel-related expenses, including meals and incidentals. No charge for late cancellation if mediator is ultimately engaged for other matters on date(s) set aside for mediation. Cancellation fee will also be waived if the parties reschedule and hold mediation within six weeks of original date.

English

United States of America

Nashville, Tennessee