Mediator Resume

Dickson Geesman LLP – Partner

Mediator, Arbitrator

Partner, Dickson Geesman LLP, 2012-Present; Partner, Dickson Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP (fka Dickson Ross LLP/Beers & Dickson LLP), 1983-2012; Law Offices of Kathryn Burkett Dickson, 1981-1983; Associate, Law Offices of Michael Jenks, 1980-1981; Staff Counsel, California Energy Commission, 1977-1980.

Represented employees in employment cases involving claims of sex, sexual orientation, race, age, national origin, religious, disability discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and other employment actions. Active practice involving court litigation, jury trials, arbitrations, mediations, and appeals.

Full time mediator and arbitrator since 2020, part-time from 2011-2020. Has served as a mediator in over 50 cases covering the full range of labor and employment disputes with a high success rate. Has successfully conducted both in-person and “virtual” mediations using Zoom. Has mediated to successful resolution federal court cases that began as court-appointed Early Neutral Evaluations. Has handled individual and multi-party cases involving both private and government employees, from high-level executives to entry-level and field-worker positions.

Representative cases have included both state and federal claims of sexual and sexual orientation discrimination and harassment, race and national origin discrimination, religious discrimination, disability discrimination and failure to provide reasonable accommodation, age discrimination, wrongful termination, various retaliation claims, and wage and hour issues. Has mediated cases at all stages of the litigation process, including pre-litigation through appeal. Mediation involved dealing with procedural issues; questions on liability, both legal and factual; and damages, including likelihood and potential range of economic and emotional distress damages; and attorneys’ fees.

My success in resolving cases has arisen, in part, because I am a “people person” and am adept at gaining the trust of parties and counsel on both sides. I like to conduct preliminary phone calls prior to the mediation to get a good grounding in the case as soon as possible. Both before and at the mediation (and sometimes afterward) I work hard to genuinely understand the dispute from both perspectives and to help the parties bridge the gap in their own understanding. As a mediator, I tend to share my analysis of the facts and law, based on my four decades of practice in employment law. Others have described me as an enduring optimist and that personality trait has helped resolve many cases which seemed truly intractable at the beginning. I am committed to working tirelessly with the parties to resolve the matter, and will use enthusiasm, humor (where appropriate), legal analysis, compassion, and sometimes “out of the box” thinking to help foster a resolution. If the matter resolves, I will strongly encourage the parties to commit the full agreement or a memorandum of the essential terms to a signed writing before the process ends.

Hastings College of the Law (JD-1976); Stanford University (BA-1972).

Admitted to the Bar: California (1976); U.S. Supreme Court (1982); various other Federal District Courts and Federal Courts of Appeal.

Council Member of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Governing Council (2008-2016); Co-Chair of the EEO Committee of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section (2000-2003); Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (2008-2012); Board Member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (2003-2009); Current memberships: California Bar; ABA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.

For the past 40 years, has been a frequent speaker on employment law and ADR-related issues around the country, including presentations at conferences of the American Bar Association; the American Trial Lawyers Association; the California State Bar Labor and Employment Section; the National Employment Lawyers Association; the American Bar Association – American Law Institute (ALI-ABA); the California Employment Lawyers Association; the West Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference; the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Northern California Human Resources Association; the Bench-Bar Conferences of the Northern District; JAMS – USC Law School Advanced Arbitration Institute; and many others.

Hourly Rate: Not provided Daily Rate: $10,000.00 Study Rate: $800.00/hr Cancellation: $5,000.00/Day Cancellation Period: 7 Days Comment: Actual travel expenses for travel outside the Bay Area will be charged.

English

United States of America

Bodega, California