Mediator Resume

Seasoned practitioner and ADR neutral with 30 years of labor and employment experience in proceedings across more than twenty states. Regularly sought by both sides of the aisle to resolve disputes. Known for a practical and relatable style, an ability to engage constructively with parties and counsel, and decades of experience assessing facts, witnesses, and legal exposure across diverse industries and claims.

Pierson Ferdinand, LLP - Employment Partner | Mediator | Arbitrator

Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator

Partner, Pierson Ferdinand, LLP, 2026 - Present; Partner, Holland & Knight LLP, 2023 - 2026; Partner, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, 1998 - 2023 (combined with Holland & Knight in 2023); Assistant Attorney General, Alabama Office of the Attorney General, Constitutional and Complex Litigation Division, 1996 - 1998; Server / FOH, Red Lobster Restaurants, 1986 - 1995.

Thirty years of experience in litigation and arbitration proceedings across more than twenty states. Primary focus on employment and civil rights disputes arising under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, ERISA, FMLA, GINA, FLSA, OSHA, PDA, PUMP Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, Section 1981, Section 1983, WARN Act, statutory and common law whistleblower claims, workers compensation retaliation claims, and tort claims for assault, battery, defamation, outrage, and interference with contract. Other significant experience includes contract disputes, restrictive covenant and noncompete disputes, ADA public accommodation claims, broker-dealer disputes, securities fraud actions, shareholder derivative actions, and Stark II self-referral claims.

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.

Proficient with Zoom and Microsoft Teams for hearings, mediations, and pre-session conferences; with secure use of electronically stored information; and with online research and other AI-assisted tools for case management and analysis.

Cumberland School of Law, Samford University (J.D., cum laude - 1996); University of Florida (B.S., Business Administration (Finance) - 1991).

Admitted to the bar: Alabama (1996), Georgia (1998), Tennessee (1999), Arkansas (2010), Kentucky (2014), Mississippi (2018); U.S. District Courts: Districts of Alabama (all), Arkansas (all), Northern District of Florida, Georgia (all), Central District of Illinois, Southern District of Indiana, Mississippi (all), Oklahoma (all), Tennessee (all), and Eastern District of Texas; 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, Alabama State Bar Labor and Employment Section Annual Seminar (2024), Adverse Employment Actions Post-Muldrow.

Alabama, Arkansas, California (Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego), Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

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