Mediator Resume

Full-time arbitrator/mediator and former law firm equity partner with more than 25 years of complex business litigation experience in state and federal court. Presides over commercial, employment, professional liability, and all types of business and contract disputes.

Tibbals Mediation LLC - Owner

Litigation Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator

Owner Tibbals Mediation LLC, 2023 - Present; Equity Partner/Of Counsel, Hill Ward Henderson, 1997 - 2000, 2001 - 2023; Law Clerk, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2000 - 2001.

Handled hundreds of complex business and commercial litigation cases in state and federal court as a former law firm equity litigation partner and trial lawyer. Represented corporations, including publicly traded companies, professionals, and individuals, in cases involving contract, employment, statutory, intellectual property, trade secrets, professional liability, class actions and multi-district litigation, insurance coverage and bad faith, fiduciary and business tort claims. Extensive experience with expert testimony, dispositive motions, evidentiary hearings, and damages analysis, now applied in the arbitral context.

Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil and Family Law Mediator successfully resolving hundreds of cases. Approved Mediator in the U.S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida and Southern District of Florida. Mediation areas include Admiralty/Maritime, Animal Owner Liability, Antitrust, Automotive, Breach of Contract, Catastrophic Injury, Class Actions, Commercial/Business, Community Associations, Divorce/Custody Disputes, Employment , Equitable Distribution, Family Business, First Party Property Insurance, Franchise, Fraud/Misrepresentation, Global Settlement Conferences, Guardianship, Homeowner/Neighbor Disputes, Insurance Coverage, Intellectual Property, Landlord/Tenant, Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facilities, Patent Cases, Personal Injury, Premises Liability, Probate, Product Liability, Professional Malpractice, Real Estate, Sexual Assault/Harassment, Trademark Disputes, Wrongful Death.

Admiralty/Maritime Animal Owner Liability Antitrust Automotive Breach of Contract Catastrophic Injury Class Actions Commercial/Business Community Associations Divorce/Custody Disputes Employment  Equitable Distribution Family Business First Party Property Insurance Franchise Fraud/Misrepresentation Global Settlement Conferences Guardianship Homeowner/Neighbor Disputes Insurance Coverage Intellectual Property Landlord/Tenant Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facilities Patent Cases Personal Injury Premises Liability Probate Product Liability Professional Malpractice Real Estate Sexual Assault/Harassment Trademark Disputes Wrongful Death

Mediations can be held either in person or using Zoom Videoconferencing. Prior to the mediation session, a pre-mediation call will be scheduled with counsel for both sides, individually, to serve as a confidential caucus discussing the nature of the case, the client’s goals and interests, and any obstacles to settlement.

Virtual Arbitration & Mediation Tools - hundreds of cases handled over Zoom. Legal Research Databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis). Proficient with use of Artificial Intelligence and Electronically Stored Information.

University of Florida College of Law (JD, with honors, Book Awards: Trial Practice & Criminal Law - 1997); Florida State University (B.A., Communications - 1994); Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation (Certificate, Mediation & Conflict Management - 2024).

Admitted to the Bar: Florida (1997); U.S. District Court: Middle, Southern, and Northern Districts of Florida; Florida Second District Court of Appeal; U.S. Court of Appeals: Eleventh Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil and Family Law Mediator; Approved Mediator, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Florida Supreme Court Approved Arbitrator for Non-Binding Arbitrations

SuperLawyers for Mediation and Business Litigation (multiple years, including 2026; Hillsborough County Bar Association - Mediation & Arbitration Section Co-Chair (2023-present), Former Board of Directors Member; Judicial Nominating Commission, Second District Court of Appeal - Commissioner (2011-2015, 2019-present), Chair (2014-2015); Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow (2012–Present) - Invitation-only membership representing less than 0.5% of U.S. attorneys; The Florida Bar - Former committee member (Judicial Nominating, Young Lawyers Division, and Student Education & Admission); Florida Bar Foundation - Board of Trustees (2019-2022), Executive Committee (2022); Hillsborough County Bar Foundation - Trustee, Law & Liberty Dinner Committee Federal Bar Association (Tampa Chapter) - Former Board of Directors Member Athena Society - Member (since 2011); Federalist Society - Member (since 1998).

Speaking Engagements: Effective Techniques in ADR — Panelist, Wm. Reese Smith, Jr. Litigation American Inn of Court (Oct. 2025) Heroes in Harmony: ADR in Business Litigation — Moderator, HCBA Bench/Bar Conference (Oct. 2025) Best Practices in Family Law Mediation — Moderator, HCBA Mediation & Arbitration Section and Family & Marital Law Section (Apr. 2025) Voice of the Mediation Client — Panelist, HCBA Litigator-Mediator Forum (Apr. 2025) Marketing for Legal Professionals — Moderator, HCBA Mediation & Arbitration Section and Solo & Small Firm Practitioners (Jan. 2025) Paths to Leadership in the Legal Profession — Speaker, Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers (Dec. 2024) Alternative Dispute Resolution, Advanced Negotiation Strategies — Panelist, HCBA Bench/Bar Conference (Nov. 2024) It Starts with Us — Keynote Speaker, Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers (Apr. 2024) Effective Mediation Techniques — Panelist, Spencer Fane LLP Litigation Retreat (Feb. 2024) Alternative Dispute Resolution — Panelist, HCBA Bench Bar Conference (Nov. 2023) Demystifying the Judicial Application and Nomination Process at the Federal and State Levels — Panelist, Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Federalist Society, Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and American Constitution Society (Nov. 2022)

Willing to work in all areas of Florida, New York City, Atlanta, and Washington D.C., without charging travel time -- only travel expenses will be charged. No travel expenses are ordinarily incurred for arbitrations in Tampa Bay and Central Florida.

Hourly Rate: $400.00 Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: $400.00/hr Cancellation: $800.00/Day Cancellation Period: 7 Days Comment: Charge $400 per hour for two party mediation sessions. The rate is divided as $200 per hour per party. For multi party sessions, charge $150 per party per hour.

English

United States of America

Tampa, Florida