Masters of Dispute Resolution

Season 03 Episode 12                                           45:47 Since 1987, Sanford Jossen has mediated and arbitrated thousands of cases across a broad spectrum of civil litigation matters.  In this episode, Sandy shares the story of a musician who, in the middle of the pandemic, left his rent-controlled apartment to act as caretaker for his ailing mother in another city, returning to the apartment a year later only to find the building was being renovated and all his belongings were missing.  A trial of the issues was to commence between the musician, the elderly owner, her daughter, and an insurance company in four days when Sandy was called upon to mediate the matter.

Season 03 Episode 11                                            48:41 In January 2003, Alan Saler launched what quickly became a thriving mediation practice.  He has always enjoyed the luxury of being an independent, full-time provider of mediation services.  As a mediator, he draws on his considerable prior legal experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of litigation matters.  In this episode, Alan shares the story of two heroic people who died attempting to rescue the driver of a car involved in an accident, how their deaths impacted their families, and how Alan was able to help the families through mediation.  

Season 03 Episode 10                                           45:50 Eric Galton has been a Texas attorney for 47 years and a full-time mediator for 35 years and has mediated nearly 8000 cases in 22 states and 16 foreign nations. He is a Distinguished Credentialed Mediator with the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association and a past president of the International Academy of Mediators. In this episode, Eric tells the story about the mediation of a case involving 450 hemophiliacs, a blood transfusion product manufactured by four of the largest pharma companies on the planet that infected the parties and loved ones with HIV, and how setting up the mediation for success led to resolution. 

Season 03 Episode 09                                         49:37 Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA, left a successful career as a trial lawyer to become a peacemaker.  His calling is to serve humanity on many levels, doing so as an award-winning author, teacher, trainer, and highly experienced mediator.  In this episode, Doug tells the story of a divorced couple engaged in a dispute ostensibly about the use of money that had been in a trust fund, how their emotions had escalated the conflict, and the discovery of the power of affect labeling not only to resolve their dispute but also to change people’s lives.

Season 03 Episode 08                                         45:00 Michael G. Balmages, Esq. is an accomplished mediator and discovery referee with extensive experience as a trial lawyer, general counsel, and transactional lawyer. As a mediator and neutral, he has had great success in helping litigants resolve their disputes in more than 1,000 cases.  In this episode, Michael tells the story of a litigated matter, its effect on the parties’ long-term relationship, the price paid in both monetary and non-monetary respects, and why two mediations failed to result in settlement.

Season 3 Episode 7                                              44:35  Phyllis W. Cheng, Esq., has excelled at every stage of her career.  For nearly seven years, Ms. Cheng was Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the largest state civil rights agency in the United States, where she oversaw the largest settlements in DFEH history.  In this episode, Phyllis joins Len to tell the moving story of a university student whose life was disrupted by a false accusation of sexual assault, a denial of due process by the university, and his suspension as a student.  Through an agreement reached in mediation, he was able to move forward with his life. 

Season 03 Episode 06                                         43:03 Jeff Trueman, Esq., is an experienced, full-time mediator and arbitrator. Specializing in interpersonal conflict, he is well known as a manager of difficult conversations. Jeff joins Len Levy to tell the story of a family reunion suddenly becoming transformed from a joyous occasion to one of life-changing injury and grief and how the mediation Jeff conducted was instrumental in removing the impediments preventing the injured parties from obtaining the help they needed to cope with their injuries and help them heal.  

Season 03 Episode 05                                         46:35 Wendy Kramer, a full-time neutral on the ADR Services, Inc. panel of neutrals, is one of the most sought-after mediators with a reputation for being highly effective in bringing parties to resolution.  In this episode, Wendy joins Len to tell the story of a gay high school student, long bullied and subsequently physically injured by his tormentor, the misdiagnosis that exacerbated the injury, and the power of apology and remorse in a mediation that made healing possible in some very surprising ways. 

Season 03 Episode 04                                         44:05 Lee Jay Berman became a full-time Los Angeles mediator 28 years ago and has since mediated over 2,500 cases.  As an AAA Master Mediator panelist for employment matters and on AAA’s national roster for commercial and construction disputes, he trains mediators through the American Institute of Mediation locally and worldwide.  In this episode, Lee Jay tells the story of a successful business, embezzlement, and whether the parties could agree to a business dissolution without killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Season 03 Episode 03                                          45:48 As one of the most effective mediators and professors of mediation, Stacie Feldman Hausner has impressed attorneys, their clients, and fellow mediators with her deep knowledge of the intricacies of the mediation process and her ability to apply those concepts successfully.  In this episode, Stacie tells the story of two longtime friends and a business opportunity gone wrong, resulting in an emotional dispute that affected their friendship, families, and community, and the healing made possible by mediation.

Season 03 Episode 02                                          45:36 Mark Baer is an attorney who works as a mediator, conflict resolution consultant, coach, trainer, and educator on implicit bias and emotional intelligence.  His approach to conflict recognizes that emotion impacts decision-making and that the litigation process itself often incites rather than calms harmful emotions.  In his conversation with Len, Mark conveys the story of a married couple who are also business partners, how bias caused conflict in both their business and personal relationship, and what it took to change that trajectory.

Season 03 Episode 01                                            45:51 As an exceptionally skilled mediator, Claudia Hagadus Long has mediated over 3000 cases and is currently a member of the ADR Services, Inc. panel of mediators.  To begin our third season, this master storyteller and mediator shares with Len the fascinating story of a highly qualified nurse, terminated from her job for making a statement taken as a threat and what occurred during the 4-day mediation conducted by Claudia which reconciled the seemingly irreconcilable.

Season 02  Episode 12                                          43:20 Caroline C. Vincent, Esq., a pioneer attorney neutral in Southern California, has mediated and arbitrated well over 2,700 matters during her distinguished 27-year neutral career.  Her broad legal background with some of California’s most prestigious firms, superb interpersonal skills, keen intellect, and perseverance make her a preferred choice for both plaintiff and defense attorneys in a wide variety of practice areas.  Caroline’s conversation with Len delves into resolution of cases where personal and business concerns are driving the conflict. 

Season 02 Episode 11                                            42:05 Lance A. LaBelle, Esq. is a highly regarded mediator, arbitrator, and insurance expert with experience in all forms of insurance matters. Before embarking on a career as a full-time neutral, he practiced law as an AV-rated attorney for over 30 years, handling a wide variety of matters and specializing in insurance cases. In his conversation with Len, Lance provides insights into how to overcome the impediments necessary to resolve not only habitability cases but also others in which insurance issues must be addressed.

Season 02 Episode 10                                           40:48 Phyllis W. Cheng, Esq., has excelled at every stage of her career.  For nearly seven years, Ms. Cheng was Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the largest state civil rights agency in the United States, where she oversaw the largest settlements in DFEH history.  In this not to be missed episode, Len and Phyllis discuss creative approaches to resolution and what mediation participants can accomplish if they enter into the process open to a problem-solving approach.

Season 02 Episode 09                                         44:00 Judge Michael Marcus (Ret.) has a well-deserved reputation throughout California as a skilled, personable, forceful mediator and a fair and impartial arbitrator, having been honored by the Daily Journal as a “Top Neutral” for six years and as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” since 2008, and brings an extremely broad legal background to his ADR practice.  In this conversation, Judge Marcus provides his perspective on the tools a retired judge uses to effectively assist the parties in reaching resolution.  

Season 02 Episode 08                                         40:38 Mark LeHocky is a mediator and arbitrator with ADR Services, Inc. who previously served as general counsel to Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc. and Ross Stores, Inc., spent two decades litigating commercial, IP, antitrust, class action, and other disputes for clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, and began mediating over twenty years ago.  In this discussion with Len, Mark helps you understand what you need to do in mediation when a general counsel is involved in the decision-making process.

Season 02 Episode 07                                          44:00 Michael G. Balmages, Esq. is an accomplished mediator and discovery referee with extensive experience as a trial lawyer, general counsel, and transactional lawyer.  As a mediator and neutral, he has had great success in helping litigants resolve their disputes in more than 1,000 cases.  In this conversation with Len, Michael, an avid astronomer, discusses the importance of process to the understanding of how to resolve disputes and whether there is anything in common between law and astronomy.

Season 02 Episode 06                                          43:36 Randy Even brings over 40 years of legal experience (with a specialty in medical malpractice, elder abuse, and complex medical issues) to his dispute resolution practice, acting as a mediator, arbitrator, or settlement officer in over 1,000 cases with an impressive rate of resolution.  In this conversation with Len, Randy draws on his extensive experience to provide insights that will help anyone representing clients in medical malpractice, elder abuse, and other medically related cases achieve better results.

Season 02 Episode 05                                         44:28 Jan Frankel Schau settles litigated cases arising out of employment and tort disputes with humanity, skill, and intelligence.  With over twenty years of experience as a mediator, following a twenty-year career as a litigator, she has a unique ability to understand and evaluate both sides of a conflict.  Jan joins Len Levy in an informative and valuable discussion highlighting the benefits of early mediation in employment disputes and how changing workplace dynamics and new laws make doing so more compelling.