Mediator Resume

Full-time neutral since 2017, serving as mediator and arbitrator in complex commercial, construction, employment, financial services, and insurance disputes. Appointed to UN Global Mediation Panel, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Who's Who Legal for Commercial Mediation, and Best Lawyers for Arbitration. Serve as sole arbitrator, tribunal chair, wing arbitrator, and emergency arbitrator issuing awards in domestic and international matters. Background as litigator at law firms and in-house counsel at multinational corporation. Extensive experience with large complex cases, including nine-figure disputes and multi-party matters. LLM in International Arbitration from Pepperdine. Adjunct professor.

Gleason Alvarez ADR

Independent Mediator & Arbitrator

Independent Arbitrator & Mediator, 2017-Present; Adjunct Professor of Law and Director of the Mediation Practicum and Amelia A. Gould Representation in Mediation Clinic, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 2022-Present; Adjunct Professor of Law, St. John’s University School of Law, 2025-Present; Global Head of ADR Programs, American International Group, 2014-2017; Director, Legal Strategies, American International Group, 2012-2014; Adjunct Professor of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2013-2014; Director, Litigation Management, American International Group, 2008-2012; Assistant Director, Litigation Management, American International Group, 2007-2008: LLM Student, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2005-2006; Attorney, White & Case, 2004-2005; Attorney, Leeds, Morelli & Brown, 2001-2003; Attorney, Hall & Sloan, 2000-2001.

Nearly 25 years of professional experience in complex dispute resolution as neutral, in-house counsel, and litigator. MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION Conduct mediations and arbitrations across diverse commercial sectors, including construction defects, employment matters, entertainment, insurance, financial services, and business dissolution. Handle cases requiring coordination among multiple parties and complex liability frameworks. Experience conducting full-day and multi-day proceedings, managing procedural challenges, and facilitating resolution in high-conflict matters. INSURANCE AND CORPORATE EXPERIENCE As Global Head of ADR Programs at AIG, advised internal counsel and claim professionals on arbitration, mediation, and settlement strategy for construction defect, property and casualty, mergers and acquisitions, securities, and commercial contract disputes. Worked directly with attorneys and business leaders to resolve disputes, achieving hundreds of millions of dollars in litigation cost avoidance. Established enterprise-wide mediation programs targeting early resolution of corporate and insurance claims. Consulted on arbitration strategy, including clause drafting, arbitrator selection, and case management under institutional rules. Trained attorneys and claim professionals on mediation advocacy and negotiation tactics for high-stakes disputes. LITIGATION PRACTICE Litigated and settled cases in securities, employment, and commercial disputes. Worked on defense team for securities class action involving complex commercial transactions. Defended depositions, prepared expert witnesses for testimony, and participated in multi-party mediation. At beginning of career, represented plaintiffs in labor, employment discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination cases. Served as lead counsel in mediations and depositions, negotiated settlement.

Full-time mediator specializing in complex commercial, construction, employment, financial services, and insurance disputes. Experience mediating large complex cases up to nine-figures involving breach of contract disputes between international corporations, multi-party construction matters with multiple contractors and insurers, and complex corporate dissolution matters. Appointed to the United Nations Global Mediation Panel, the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, United States District Court Eastern District of New York Mediation Panel, Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court First Department as Special Master, and Lexology (Who's Who Legal) for Commercial Mediation. Background as a litigator and in-house counsel provides a deep understanding of litigation strategy, business objectives, and dispute resolution dynamics. Began mediating in 2005 while earning an LLM in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine's Straus Institute. Director of Mediation Practicum and Amelia A. Gould Representation in Mediation Clinic at Pace Law School. Teaches Mediation Advocacy at St. John's Law School. Certified by the New York State Unified Court System ADR Office to conduct mediator training programs.

FINANCIAL SERVICES & LARGE COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CASES Nine-figure breach of contract disputes between international corporations involving performance failures, warranty claims, indemnification, and consequential damages. Commercial contract disputes involving master services agreements, supply agreements, distribution agreements, and licensing arrangements. Fraud claims including fraudulent inducement, fraudulent misrepresentation, and negligent misrepresentation. Corporate dissolution and shareholder oppression matters involving closely-held businesses. Business partnership disputes including joint ventures, operating agreements, and buy-sell provisions. Investor-founder conflicts over control, equity distribution, governance, and fiduciary duties. Merger and acquisition disputes including earnout disagreements, representation and warranty claims, and purchase price adjustments. Banking disputes including loan agreements, letters of credit, and secured transactions. Intellectual property licensing including software, patents, trademarks, and entertainment rights. CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS & DISPUTES Commercial and residential construction defect matters involving structural failures, design defects, material deficiencies, water intrusion, foundation issues, and building code violations. Multi-party disputes among owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and material suppliers. Payment disputes, delay claims, change order disagreements, and contract interpretation matters. Surety disputes. Design professional liability, including architect and engineer errors and omissions. Complex insurance coverage issues arising from construction defects including trigger, allocation, and additional insured disputes. EMPLOYMENT & EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION Executive compensation disputes involving salary, bonuses, stock options, equity grants, severance packages, deferred compensation, and restrictive covenants. Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Employment contract breaches including wrongful termination, breach of implied contract, and constructive discharge. Workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics including race, gender, age, disability, and national origin. Sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims. Retaliation claims under federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Wage and hour disputes including overtime, misclassification, and collective actions. Trade secret misappropriation and confidentiality agreement breaches. INSURANCE COVERAGE & COMPLEX CLAIMS Primary and excess coverage disputes involving policy interpretation, allocation disputes, and coverage triggers across multiple policy periods. Commercial general liability matters including bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury, and additional insured disputes. Professional liability including directors and officers liability, errors and omissions, medical malpractice, and legal malpractice claims. Employment practices liability including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation claims. Construction defect insurance coverage involving trigger of coverage, allocation among carriers, and indemnification obligations. Multi-party insurance coverage disputes with multiple primary carriers, excess insurers, and reinsurers requiring sophisticated coverage analysis and allocation strategies.

I approach mediation as a strategic problem-solving process designed to achieve practical, business-focused resolutions. My role is to facilitate productive dialogue while helping parties navigate complex legal, technical, and business issues to reach solutions that serve their fundamental interests. My process emphasizes thorough preparation and strategic case assessment. I conduct individual pre-mediation calls with counsel and decision-makers to understand case dynamics, legal theories, business context, and settlement obstacles. This preparation enables efficient, focused mediation sessions addressing the issues that truly matter. I adapt my approach based on case needs and party preferences. I am comfortable being evaluative when parties need candid assessment of litigation risk, coverage positions, or valuation issues. I also facilitate interest-based negotiation when parties seek collaborative problem-solving. I follow the parties' lead on joint sessions versus caucuses, recognizing that sophisticated commercial matters often benefit from strategic use of both formats. For large complex cases, I structure the mediation to address procedural complexities efficiently. I manage multi-party dynamics, coordinate overlapping issues, handle confidentiality concerns among multiple parties, and design phased negotiation strategies when appropriate. I am experienced conducting full-day and multi-day mediations in person and virtually, and I prepare to invest whatever time is necessary to achieve resolution.

Conducts mediation proceedings via secure videoconferencing platforms, primarily Zoom, ensuring efficient, accessible, and remote dispute resolution. Exclusively accepts digital submissions. Experienced with breakout room functionality for caucusing with multiple parties in virtual mediations. Prioritizes cybersecurity best practices. Proficient with electronic document management, case management systems, and collaborative platforms for multi-party dispute resolution.

Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law (LLM, International Arbitration-2006); City University of New York School of Law (JD-2000); The State University of New York at Albany (BA-1996).

Admitted to the Bar: New York (2001); US District Court: Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (2002).

United Nations, Global Mediation Panel (2025 - present); National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (2025 - present); Executive Committee, Dispute Resolution Section, New York State Bar Association (2023 - 2025); Co-Chair, Dispute Prevention Committee, Dispute Resolution Section, New York State Bar Association (2023 - 2025); Co-Chair, Member, Executive Advisory Committee, CPR Institute (2014 - 2025); Co-Chair, Model Clause Task Force, CPR Institute (2019 - 2020); Co-Chair, President’s Committee on Enhancing Efficiency in Dispute Resolution, New York City Bar Association (2017 - 2020); Member, In-house Counsel Committee, New York City Bar Association (2016 - 2019)​; Member, Arbitration Committee, New York City Bar Association (2007 - 2010; 2017 - present)​; Member, Arbitration Committee, CPR Institute (2007 - present)​; ​Co-Chair, Mediation Committee, CPR Institute (2014 - 2018); Member (2007 - present); Member, International Commercial Disputes Committee, New York City Bar Association (2016 - 2017); Faculty, Commercial Arbitration Training, New York State Bar Association (2015 - 2021).

Selected Publications: What is Bad faith in Mediation? New York Law Journal (2022) Arbitration 911: Emergency Arbitration Emerges as an Option, New York Law Journal (2022) Efficiency in Arbitration: Considerations for the Arbitrator Selection Process, Corporate Disputes Magazine (2022) Dispute Resolution and Avoidance in 2020: The Impact of Covid-19 on Arbitration and Mediation, Corporate Disputes Magazine (2020) The Southern District of New York Denies Request to Vacate AAA Insurance Coverage Award, American Bar Association Section of Litigation Magazine (2020) Online Arbitration: Avoiding the “Outer Limits” of Enforceability, American Bar Association Section of Litigation Magazine (2019) Negotiation in the Context of Arbitration, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2019) Final Offer Arbitration: The History, Practice and Future, Edna Sussman Co-author, CPR Institute (2019) Putting Final Offer Arbitration to Use, Co-author with Edna Sussman, CPR Institute (2019) Lean Arbitration: Planning for Efficiency and Preventing Arbitral Waste, Corporate Disputes Magazine (2019) Hacking Arbitration, New York State Bar Association Corporate Counsel (January 2016) Promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution: What’s the ROI on ADR?, 30 Alt. HighCost Litig. 201 (2012) Arbitrating Online, American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Magazine (2012) Diversifying the ADR Field, 2 N.Y. Dispute Resolution Lawyer 13 (2009) International Arbitral Appeals: What Are We So Afraid Of?, 7 Pepp. Disp. Resol. L.J. 269 (2007) Selected Speaking Engagements: “ADR Skills Training: Insurance,” CPR Institute (November 2024) “ABA Mediation Institute,” ABA Dispute Resolution Section (October 2024) “Negotiating in the Moment: Staying Grounded and Focused,” New York State Bar Association Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section (October 2024) “From Conflict to Collaboration: Integrating Mindfulness into Negotiations,” Mindful Leader Summit (September 2024) Presentation on the Benefits of Mediation, New York State Bar Association Real Property Law Section, Coop & Condominium Committee Annual Meeting (January 2024) “Facilitating Settlement in International Arbitration,” ICC (December 2023) “Third-Party Subpoenas in Arbitration,” New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section (May 2023) "Practical Considerations in Navigating Emergency Arbitration," New York State Bar Association, Commercial and Federal Litigation Section (June 2022) “Arbitration Advocacy in the Virtual and Hybrid World: When to Consider Mediation,” CPR Institute (May 2022) “Arbitration Project Management,” Lawline (April 2022) "Internal and External Disagreements: Is Resolving Them Really Different?" Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (March 2021) “Best Practices for Efficiency in Arbitration,” Clear Law Institute CLE Webinar (October 2020) “COVID-19, Insurance Coverage, and Dispute Resolution: Identifying Strategies,” Clear Law Institute CLE Webinar (June 2020) “ADR for In-house Counsel,” Lawline (June 2020) "In-house Counsel Resources for Proactive Dispute Resolution," Clear Law Institute CLE Webinar (April 2020) "Dispute Resolution Workshop," International Association of Commercial Contract Managers, Americas Conference, Phoenix, AZ (November 2019) "Ensuring the Fruitful Mediation of Disputed Claims," RIMS Annual Meeting, Boston, MA (May 2019) “The Singapore Convention: Expert Perspectives on its Significance for the Future of Dispute Resolution,” United Nations, New York, NY (April 2019) Program Chair, "ADR Bootcamp for In-house Counsel," New York City Bar Association, New York, NY (February 2019) “Dispute Resolution in the Wake of Disaster: Fire, Flood and Famine,” CPR Institute Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA (March 2018) Co-Chair, New York State Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Annual Meeting, New York, NY (January 2018)

New York Metro Area

Hourly Rate: $875.00 Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: $875.00/hr Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: Not provided Comment: Compensation rates, established by the AAA, are set forth in the applicable Consumer Mediation Procedures.

English

United States of America

Brooklyn, New York