A Survival Guide to Investing in Hollywood: Where Finance, Accounting, and Legal Strategy Converge
This seminar will provide insight into how this ecosystem of deals, audits, and disputes operates in the Hollywood studio system and beyond. Expect practical tips for how to manage the complex web of stakeholders in this field, how to identify potential issues and anticipate disputes, and real world frameworks for resolving conflicts from the pre-filing stage all the way through trial
Dispute Resolution in cases Presenting Nuclear Verdict Risk
Thursday, March 26, 2026
8 am Pacific / 11 am Eastern
Our special guests this week are Victor Vital, Global Chair of Haynes Boone’s Trials Practice Group, Mark Trachtenberg, Partner and Emily Buchanan, Partner will present on:
Dispute Resolution in cases Presenting Nuclear Verdict Risk
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting North Texas Food Bank
Our presenters:
Victor Vital — the Global Chair of Haynes Boone’s Trials Practice Group and the Dallas Bar Association’s 2025 Trial Lawyer of the Year — is a nationally recognized trial lawyer trusted by general counsel, C-suite executives, and high-net-worth individuals to lead them in their most sensitive, challenging, and high-stakes disputes. Known for his cross-industry fluency, Victor brings strategic insight, courtroom command, and ability to connect with judges, juries, and arbitrators in matters spanning a wide range of sectors and matters. Victor was recently named the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year and is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA (Litigation: Trial Lawyers, 2024-2025). His verdicts have been nationally recognized in the National Law Journal’s Top 100 Verdicts and Courtroom View Network’s Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts.
Victor’s ability to rapidly master complex subject matter enables him to both shape compelling trial narratives and drive successful dispute resolution in a wide range of disputes such as business and commercial matters, intellectual property disputes, family and estate disputes, securities fraud, white collar criminal cases, and catastrophic injury and death cases.
Victor is a member of the highly selective, invitation-only American Law Institute (ALI), an honor reserved for the country’s most respected legal minds shaping and refining the future of American law. He is a frequent speaker, author, and educator on trial strategy and high-stakes litigation, and he continues to be a sought-after voice on major courtroom developments and matters.
With a reputation forged in courtrooms across the country and across industries, Victor is the advocate and adviser clients call when the stakes are high, the pressure is real, and the outcome matters.
Mark Trachtenberg represents major companies in high-stakes appeals, is proud to be recognized by his peers as a top lawyer in his field. He was named as a 2023 and 2025 Lawyer of the Year—Appellate Practice in Houston by The Best Lawyers in America directory. He was recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Texas and as one of the top appellate lawyers in the state by Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters). And he is highly ranked in Chambers USA,
A highlight of Mark’s career has been his work on behalf of Texas public schools, an opportunity that arose from a law review article he authored on the history of Texas’s school finance litigation while at Yale Law School. Mark played a lead role in a lawsuit that resulted in an infusion of more than $2 billion for public schools in Texas. He later served as lead counsel at trial and on appeal for a coalition of 88 school districts in a second lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s school finance system.
Mark is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the American Law Institute. He recently served as the chair of the Houston Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section and currently serves as President of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (TACTAS) and Vice-President with the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. Mark is also dedicated to his community, previously serving as the chair of the Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League and on the Education Policy Committee of the United Way of Greater Houston.
Emily Buchanan is a partner in the firm’s Litigation and Insurance Recovery Practice Groups in the Dallas office of Haynes Boone. Her practice focuses primarily on representing commercial policyholders in insurance coverage disputes. Emily advises clients regarding insurance programs and risk management efforts, as well as representing insureds in disputed insurance claims through negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, and litigation. Her experience spans a wide range of business insurance, including various liability coverages, property and casualty coverage, and other specialized forms of coverage.
Emily routinely works as a volunteer attorney with the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program taking on pro bono matters, including intake clinics and preparing wills for pro bono clients. When she is not advising clients, Emily also serves as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she teaches a course on insurance law. Prior to attending law school, Emily taught middle school social studies at a low socioeconomic school in Tyler, Texas.
Emily’s passion for helping others, coupled with a keen insight into complex insurance issues, allows her to provide clients with litigation strategies that maximize their insurance benefits in the most efficient way possible.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
How Retirement Has Affected Mediation and the Influence of ABA Op 518 on the Industry
Thursday, April 9th
Our special guest this week, Nelson Edward Timken, Mediator will Present on:
How Retirement Has Affected Mediation and the Influence of ABA Op 518 on the Industry
This program explores how the recent wave of judicial and senior-partner retirements has reshaped the mediation marketplace, and not always for the better. As experienced litigators and judges transition into dispute resolution, mediation has increasingly shifted from a facilitative craft grounded in self-determination to a high-volume settlement business driven by reputation and speed.
We will examine how this “retirement glut” has commodified mediation, altered client expectations, and created ethical tension within the profession. Central to the discussion is ABA Formal Opinion 518 and its clear warning against evaluative overreach, particularly the prohibition on mediators implying that a settlement is in a party’s “best interest.” Opinion 518 signals a broader reckoning for the industry: neutrality is not a title carried over from the bench, but a discipline requiring retooling, restraint, and renewed ethical clarity.
This session invites mediators, lawyers, and ADR professionals to reflect on where the field is heading, and what must change to preserve mediation as a profession grounded in integrity, skill, and true party self-determination.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
Our presenter:
For 30 years, Nelson Edward Timken served as Principal Law Clerk to a New York Supreme Court Justice. Before that, and alongside it, he built 37 years of legal experience that gave him a front-row seat to complex litigation, high-stakes motion practice, and the real dynamics that drive judicial decision-making. He now devotes his time to mediating.
His perspective is informed by years spent drafting decisions, observing trials, and watching how strong cases and weak cases actually play out. That insight now serves parties who need more than conversation. They need resolution.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Staying Anchored as a Leader in Uncertain Times
This presentation will explore new research on the neuroscience of spirituality and its ties to leadership and suggests ways for us to stay more centered and anchored in uncertain times. We will also explore a framework for making hard decisions when faced with morally complex questions.
Time-Pressured Negotiations: When short on time, what short cuts can you take and what are the risks?
Professor Abramson will discuss what he learned when researching his recent article on "Time-Pressured Negotiations." The article just received the award for the best professional ADR article for 2025 by the CPR Institute.
Competing Perspectives and Common Interests: Strategic Mediation On Behalf Of Artists, Studios, and Others Players In The Media and Entertainment Ecosystem
Yakub Hazzard, Chair of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp
Lessons From Taking Bet-The-Company IP Cases To Trial
Thursday, March 5th
Our special guest this week,
Ashok Ramani, Head of IP Litigation, Davis Polk will Present on:
Lessons From Taking Bet-The-Company IP Cases To Trial
Discussion of lessons learned from handling several nine and ten-figure IP trials over a 28-year career
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Samaritan House of San Mateo County
Our presenter:
Ashok leads the IP Litigation practice at his firm, and if you spend any time in the world of high-stakes intellectual property disputes, you know that’s serious territory. He’s a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is one of those honors that quietly signals, “Yes, this lawyer has truly seen the inside of the courtroom.”
Over the years, he has represented some of the most innovative companies on the planet, including Comcast, Magnolia Medical, OpenAI, Pfizer, and TSMC. Chambers USA and the Daily Journal consistently rank him among the country’s top IP trial lawyers. That reputation is built not on headlines, but on results.
For plaintiffs, Ashok has helped secure more than $800 million in collected judgments and settlement payments. Not just verdicts announced in court, but actual dollars recovered. For defendants, he has repeatedly achieved complete defense verdicts in cases where plaintiffs were asking for nine or even ten figures. In other words, he is very comfortable when the stakes are high and the spotlight is bright.
Beyond his courtroom work, Ashok also gives back to the profession and the community. He serves on the boards of Bay Legal and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers of Northern California.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
What's the Problem With Problem-Solving!?!
Thursday, February 26, 2026
8 am Pacific / 11 am Eastern
Our special guest this week, Jacinta Gallant, Mediator, Lawyer, Educator, will present on:
What's the Problem With Problem-Solving!?!
Mediators and Lawyers are excellent problem-solvers. And that works well, because clients come to us for help solving a problem, right?! But have you ever met client resistance to your efforts to problem-solve? Have you puzzled over a client’s reaction when you're "just trying to help!"? In this webinar, we will learn to notice and work with resistance so that we can more productively engage in those difficult moments. And - bonus - your expertise with problem-solving will still be important, but it will know its place. (Problem-solving gets way too much attention in our line of work!)
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting World Central Kitchen
Our presenter:
Jacinta Gallant is a respected Canadian collaborative lawyer, mediator and educator. She is recognized internationally for her insightful and experiential approach to teaching and managing conflict, and has been welcomed as a trainer throughout the world. Jacinta’s innovative resources, Our Family in Two Homes, and Designing Our Future Together help clients prepare to engage deeply, and productively, with Family Lawyers, Mediators. Jacinta’s podcast, The Authentic Professional, focuses on how professionals can bring more of who they are to what they do, and her latest book, Going Steady, helps engage couples in conversations that sustain and nourish their relationship.
Jacinta’s ultimate goal is to help conflict professionals engage with clients in a more meaningful way, manage conflict more effectively, and get more enjoyment out of this important work.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
The Path to the Finish Line: Successful Mediations and Potential Pitfalls in Class Action and Mass Tort Cases
Thursday, February 19th
Our special guest this week, Adam Levitt, Founding Partner, DiCello Levitt LLP will Present on:
The Path to the Finish Line: Successful Mediations and Potential Pitfalls in Class Action and Mass Tort Cases
We’ll be discussing some of the "hot button" issues in class action and mass tort mediations and how mediators can optimally work with the parties to avoid the early breakdowns and really make meaningful progress.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Greater Chicago Food Depository
Our presenter:
Adam Levitt is one of the nation’s leading advocates for plaintiffs in complex, multidistrict, class action, public client, mass tort, and commercial litigation. Drawing on his extensive experience pursuing and obtaining justice for those who have been wronged by powerful defendants, he co-founded DiCello Levitt to create a top complex issues and trial firm, built on excellence, trust, and respect—where every team member’s voice and talents are valued.
In his decades-long career, Adam has scored numerous significant and precedent-setting victories, delivering more than $25 billion in recoveries to clients in biotechnology, financial services, securities, insurance coverage, consumer protection, automotive defects, agricultural products, and antitrust disputes. His reputation for innovatively taking on tough cases has led to his appointment to leadership positions in many historic and headline-grabbing litigations.
Adam is a leader in the legal profession and a frequent speaker on multidistrict litigation, consumer protection, automotive litigation, biotechnology, corporate governance, securities litigation, and internet privacy. Nationally recognized as an authority on class action litigation, Adam writes a monthly class action column in The National Law Journal, has testified before the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee on class action practice, and chairs an annual class action litigation conference in Chicago.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), LatAM moderator, Michael Schwimmer (www.SchwimmerMediation.com and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Trust, Talent, and Timing: Negotiation Lessons from a Career Resolving Music Industry Disputes
Thursday, February 12th
Our special guest this week, Julie Swidler, GC & EVP of Sony Music will Present on:
Trust, Talent, and Timing: Negotiation Lessons from a Career Resolving Music Industry Disputes
The music industry operates on a mix of contracts, creativity, ego and long memory. In this close-knit ecosystem, successful dispute resolution therefore depends as much on timing, trust and relationship management as it does on legal leverage.
In this session, Julie Swidler, the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Sony Music, will share lessons learned from years of resolving disputes involving artists, producers, and global business partners, while highlighting the business realities and cultural dynamics that outsiders often miss.
As the veteran GC of one of the world’s leading music companies, Julie has guided teams of lawyers, creatives, and businesspeople around the world through an unprecedented period of disruption and innovation. As a result, Julie offers a truly unparalleled perspective on the music industry’s enduring and evolving patterns, and will reflect on what changes, what doesn’t, and why certain approaches consistently succeed.
Attendees can expect to gain concrete insight into:
· how mediators can add value by understanding industry pressure points.
· the mediator behaviors that are most effective
· the pitfalls that derail otherwise promising talks, and
· how industry-specific business considerations shape settlement decisions long before anyone enters a mediation room.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting your local food bank
Our presenter:
Julie Swidler is one of the music industry’s most accomplished business affairs executives, currently serving as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Sony Music Entertainment.
Since 2008, she has led Sony’s global legal, business and government affairs, shaping major negotiations, artist contacts and strategic ventures including the company’s expansion into podcasting. Her pioneering impact has been recognized with numerous honors: she was the first label executive and first woman to receive the Grammy Foundation’s ELI Service Award and has also been awarded the Music Business Association’s Presidential Award, alongside repeated recognition by Billboard and the T.J. Martell Foundation.
Throughout her career, Swidler has played key roles at PolyGram, Arista and J Records prior to joining Sony Music. She is known for her advocacy on behalf of artists and her commitment to diversity having served on the Recording Academy’s Task Force on diversity and inclusion, which led to meaningful industry reforms.
Beyond her executive work, she is deeply involved in philanthropy including leadership with the T.J. Martell Foundation and in 2023, she was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees for Union College, her alma mater.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ), Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
What If We’ve Been Negotiating the Wrong Way Since 1776?
Thursday, February 5th
Our special guest this week, Dr. Keld Jensen, Professor, author, negotiation strategist will Present on:
What If We’ve Been Negotiating the Wrong Way Since 1776?
What if many of today’s conflicts in business, work, and partnerships aren’t caused by lack of resources — but by outdated negotiation thinking?
In this episode, negotiation expert Dr. Keld Jensen challenges the 18th-century, win-lose mindset that still dominates how we negotiate contracts, deals, and relationships. Drawing on modern research and real-world cases, he explains how changing the design of negotiations — not pushing harder — can unlock up to 42% additional value.
The conversation explores why traditional bargaining creates waste, mistrust, and friction, and what a smarter, more collaborative approach looks like in practice.
If you care about better deals, stronger relationships, and sustainable results without burning bridges, this episode will change how you think about negotiation.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Feeding America
Our presenter:
Dr. Keld Jensen, Founder of SMARTnership Negotiation Organization
Professor Keld Jensen, a widely acclaimed author, has penned 27 books that have been published in 38 countries. He holds the position of an associate professor at four esteemed universities, and his expertise is sought by major private and governmental institutions worldwide. Additionally, Prof. Jensen has graced the stage as a TEDx speaker, captivating audiences with his insights.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ), Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Litigation Funding and Mediation
Thursday, January 29th
Our special guest this week, Jonathan Stroud, General Counsel at Unified Patents will Present on:
Litigation Funding and Mediation
The rapid growth of litigation funding has transformed modern dispute resolution—particularly in complex commercial matters. Once viewed as a niche financial tool, third-party funding has now become a strategic component in high-stakes litigation and arbitration across the globe. But what happens when funded cases enter mediation or settlement negotiations? How does the presence of a financing partner alter risk assessment, negotiation behavior, timing, and outcomes?
Jonathan Stroud will explore these critical questions and more, offering practical insights for mediators, litigators, in-house counsel, and ADR professionals.
This program will address:
What every mediator needs to know about litigation funding—how it works and why it's on the rise
The impact of third-party funding on case valuation, settlement leverage, and party decision-making
Ethical and disclosure considerations—who needs to know what, and when
How funders view mediation, negotiation risk, and resolution strategy
Tactical challenges: confidentiality, privilege, lien rights, and approval authority
Real-world examples of how financing has influenced negotiation tone, timing, and outcomes in commercial disputes
Jonathan will demystify the evolving intersection between capital and conflict—and explain what today’s dispute-resolution professionals must understand to navigate funded disputes effectively.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Martha's Table
Our presenter:
Jonathan Stroud oversees Unified Patents’ legal and corporate functions, managing a diverse docket that spans PTAB proceedings, district court and appellate litigation, contracting, licensing, settlement negotiations, and general corporate matters.
Before joining Unified, Jonathan practiced as a patent litigator at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP, and earlier served as a patent examiner specializing in implantable medical devices at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Jonathan holds a J.D. with honors from American University Washington College of Law (2013) and earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, along with an M.A. in Print Journalism from the University of Southern California.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), LatAM moderator, Michael Schwimmer (www.SchwimmerMediation.com and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Handling emotionally complex and structurally challenging mediations in legal-malpractice cases
Thursday, January 22, 2026
8 am Pacific / 11 am Eastern
Our special guest this week, Anne Thompson, Chief Claims Officer at Lawyers' Mutual
will present on:
Handling emotionally complex and structurally challenging mediations in legal-malpractice cases
These mediations aren’t like typical tort claims or commercial disputes. They involve layers of emotion, identity, ethics, and insurance dynamics that can make the process feel volatile, unpredictable, and deeply personal.
We’re going to explore why these cases are different, how the parties approach them, and what mediators can do to guide them toward productive resolution.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting FoodShare of Ventura County
Our presenter:
Anne L. Thompson is the Chief Claims Officer for Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company. Ms. Thompson leads the claims department overseeing litigation and pre-litigation strategy and legal analysis of duty, breach, causation and damages in defense of claims. She is also responsible for the evaluation of coverage concerns regarding policyholder tenders. She participates in mediation and settlement negotiations on behalf of policyholders. Ms. Thompson provides hotline assistance with ethical issues or concerns from policyholders.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and Program Coordinator, David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com).
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Effectively Representing Clients in Family Mediation
Thursday, January 15th
Our special guest this week, Woody Mosten, Mediator, will Present on:
Effectively Representing Clients in Family Mediation
Based on 2023 ABA book of the same title, this presentation will highlight innovative ways that consulting lawyers and mediators can be partners to help families in conflict.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Feeding San Diego
Our presenter:
Forrest (Woody) Mosten has spent his entire career as a tireless peacemaker working for increased legal access and dispute resolution for the underserved and diverse members of our society. Woody is a professional mediator helping families, businesses, and organizations resolve disputes. He has mediated conflict involving schools, community boards. churches and synagogues, and non-profit organizations. He is the co-founder of Mosten Mediation Training Academy for online Mediation Training.
Woody is the author of eight books. and numerous articles on mediation and other dispute resolution topics.
View his full and expansive resume.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com) and Program Coordinator, David Shraga
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Different Wiring, Shared Solutions: Why Understanding Neurodiversity Can Help You Resolve Conflict
Thursday, October 16th
Our special guest this week, Laura Anthony, Disability Attorney, Speaker and Mediator will Present on:
Different Wiring, Shared Solutions: Why Understanding Neurodiversity Can Help You Resolve Conflict
Imagine conflict resolution as tuning a radio: each of us broadcasts on different frequencies, and without the right adjustments, static fills the air. In “Different Wiring, Shared Solutions,” we’ll explore how embracing neurodiversity—those unique ways our brains process information—can transform the way you navigate disagreements. You’ll discover simple, step‑by‑step strategies.
We’ll unpack practical tools for spotting sensory triggers, decoding non‑literal language, and crafting inclusive dialogues that honor everyone’s perspective. By the end, you’ll leave equipped not only to resolve conflict more creatively, proof that different wiring doesn’t divide us; it powers our shared success.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Mid Ohio Market
Our presenter:
Laura Anthony is a nationally recognized speaker, disability attorney and consultant with an extensive background in neurodiversity, inclusive leadership and dispute resolution. For over 25 years, Laura has led a neurodiverse team and helped business and organizational leaders understand the differences in how people think, process and communicate. As a certified mediator and investigator, Laura has also been at the forefront of neuroinclusive conflict resolution efforts, training professionals on how to implement practices that are effective, affirming and trauma-informed.
Beyond her professional experience, Laura brings a deep personal connection to her work. As the child of a parent who suffered a brain injury, Laura spent her life navigating the realities of neurodiversity and this, coupled with her studies of psychology and brain science, gave her a firsthand view of the strengths and struggles that can occur when people think and communicate in different ways. This understanding fueled her interest in breaking down stigmas, improving workplace inclusion and helping improve dispute resolution practices.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com) and Program Coordinator, David Shraga
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
The Nuts and Bolts of Negotiating with Emotional Intelligence
Ronda Muir, Lawyer, Mediator, Management Consultant
Author, “Beyond Smart: Lawyering with Emotional Intelligence”
War Stories from the Zoom Trenches: Mediating in Sweatpants
Thursday, October 2nd
8 a.m PST| 11 a.m EST
Our special guest this week, Gino Brogdon Jr, Litigator, Mediator, lecturer at the University of Georgia School of Law’s Mediation Clinic and the CEASE Clinic, will Present on:
War Stories from the Zoom Trenches: Mediating in Sweatpants
A fun but insightful exploration of how remote and recent technology mediation changed the game (and the power dynamics)
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Atlanta Community Food Bank
Our presenter:
Gino Brogdon Jr. is a highly regarded mediator and entrepreneur who has committed himself to building the future of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). With a legal foundation from the University of Georgia School of Law, Gino transitioned into mediation in 2015 and has since facilitated over 1,700 mediations, dedicating more than 6,000 hours to resolving complex disputes. In 2017, he was honored as the youngest inductee to the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.
Gino specializes in mediating cases where parties are deeply resistant to settlement. His ability to understand the underlying motivations of disputing parties has made him an indispensable resource for attorneys seeking effective resolution. His expertise in navigating high-stakes negotiations, particularly in cases involving contract disputes and catastrophic injury claims, has earned him the distinction of being named the #1 mediator in Georgia in 2023 and the ‘Best Of’ Hall of Fame in 2025 by The Daily Report.
Beyond mediation, Gino is an innovator in the legal tech space. In 2020, he co-founded FourthParty, a cutting-edge practice management platform designed to enhance operational efficiency for mediators and courts. FourthParty quickly gained national recognition, becoming a finalist at the American Bar Association’s 2022 TechShow and securing funding from Google for Startups and Techstars. His work with FourthParty underscores his dedication to modernizing dispute resolution and increasing access to justice
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com and moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ), Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com), and coordinated by David Shraga (www.DavidShraga.com)
How Mass Claims Settlements Can Help Restore a Sense of Agency and Dignity in Victims
Thursday, September 25th
8 a.m PST| 11 a.m EST
Our special guest this week, Jordana ("Jordy") H. Feldman will Present on:
How Mass Claims Settlements Can Help Restore a Sense of Agency and Dignity in Victims
By definition, settlements arising from mass tragedies address a large number of claims, often after years of contentious litigation. How can Special Masters and settlement administrators balance equity and efficiency when determining compensation and allocating damages among eligible claimants?
The sheer volume of claims can make individualization a challenge. But an individualized approach (to varying extents) can be critically important in validating a claimant’s experience and assuring a claimant’s sense of justice. We’ll discuss what that looks like, the many considerations at play when designing and administering mass claims programs, and how the guiding principles in those programs apply in the traditional mediation context.
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting either Backpack Buddies or Mandala Café
Our presenter:
Ms. Feldman has spent most of her career serving as an independent neutral, designing and administering litigation-alternative mass claims resolution programs and mediating highly sensitive, emotional disputes. She has extensive experience in cases involving sexual abuse and sexual assault, personal injury and wrongful death, having run programs to resolve claims of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein and his estate and against clergy and faith-based organizations, as well as serving for many years as Deputy Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
She founded her own claims resolution company, Davarker Advisors, LLC after leaving the Justice Department in 2019, and recently joined JAMS in New York, continuing her mass claims work and more traditional mediation practice. Drawing on her experience and seeing a void in law school curricula, she also developed a first-of-its-kind course on victim compensation funds as alternatives to litigation, which she teaches as an adjunct professor at NYU Law School and University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com and moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com)
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
How to Negotiate Like the Adult You Want to Be
Thursday, September 18th
8 a.m PST| 11 a.m EST
Our special guest this week, Andrea Kupfer Schneider, Professor of Law and Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at Cardozo School of Law will Present on:
How to Negotiate Like the Adult You Want to Be
Social media, the Covid lockdown, campus unrest, and political polarization have upended and challenged norms of communication. Many of us have lost the skills of listening with curiosity to those with whom we strongly disagree. And yet we know that we need these skills to manage our career, our family, our friends, and the typical day to day disputes in which we engage, let alone the broader societal challenges we face. How can we (re)learn communication and negotiation skills? How can we determine when to talk, when to listen, when to negotiate, and when to fight?
When you’re thinking about where to donate, please consider supporting Upward NY
Our presenter:
Andrea Kupfer Schneider is a Professor of Law and Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at Cardozo School of Law. Professor Schneider was the previous director of the nationally ranked ADR program at Marquette University Law School in Wisconsin, where she taught ADR, Negotiation, Ethics and International Conflict Resolution for over two decades. In addition to overseeing the ADR program, Professor Schneider was the inaugural director of the university’s Institute for Women’s Leadership.
In 2024, Professor Schneider was awarded the Rubin Theory to Practice Award given by the International Association of Conflict Management (IACM) honoring meritorious and long-standing contributions at the nexus of theory, research and practice. She was named the 2017 recipient of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work, the highest scholarly award given by the ABA in the field of dispute resolution. And in 2009, Professor Schneider was awarded the Woman of the Year Award by the Wisconsin Law Journal and the Association for Women Lawyers. She was elected to the American Law Institute in 2022 and the Council for Foreign Relations in 2023.
She is a founding editor of Indisputably, the blog for ADR law faculty, and started the Dispute Resolution Works-in-Progress annual conferences in 2007. In 2016, she gave her first TEDx talk titled Women Don’t Negotiate and Other Similar Nonsense. Professor Schneider received her A.B. cum laude from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School. She also received a Diploma from the Academy of European Law in Florence, Italy.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com) and Program Coordinator, David Shraga
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
Bridge to Exit: Crafting and Cashing in on Your Mediation Practice
Thursday, September 11th
Our special guest this week, Diana Mercer, Esq., retired Attorney-Mediator will Present:
Bridge to Exit: Crafting and Cashing in on Your Mediation Practice
If you’d like to sell your practice when you retire or switch gears, you need to have something to sell---financials, IP, good will, and/or tangible assets. These don’t have to all be perfect, and you don’t have to have all of them, but you need a good mix of these or you won’t have anything to sell. Advance planning will set you up for success when the time comes to cash out
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Our presenter:
Diana Mercer sold her mediation practice, Peace Talks Mediation Services, Inc., in 2013. She’s a graduate of the Indiana University Mauer School of Law and has a bunch of impressive credentials, happily none of which matter anymore.
Diana Mercer, Esq. is a retired Attorney-Mediator and the founder of Peace Talks Mediation Services in Los Angeles, California (www.peace-talks.com), which she built by herself from the ground up and sold in 2013. A veteran litigator, she devoted her practice solely to mediation starting in 2000.
She is the co-author of Making Divorce Work: 8 Essential Keys to Resolving Conflict and Rebuilding Your Life (Penguin/Perigee 2010), Your Divorce Advisor: A Lawyer and a Psychologist Guide You Through the Legal and Emotional Landscape of Divorce (Simon & Schuster/Fireside 2001) and 8 Simple Keys to Building and Growing Your Mediation or Arbitration Practice (Peace Talks Press 2011). An active blogger, she wrote for the Huffington Post and maintained the interactive Making Divorce Work blog. She’s an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and is admitted to practice law in California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Since her retirement, she’s attended culinary school in the United States and France, written a novel, Cooking School, A Love Story (Quill & Copper 2024), played in the World Series of Poker, traveled extensively, renovated houses, learned woodworking, learned to fish, attended bartending school, and rescued a sassy pug, among other dogs.
Offered by Will Work For Food, founded by Natalie Armstrong-Motin (www.HowToMarketMyMediationPractice.com, moderated by Jeff Kichaven (www.JeffKichaven.com ) and Jean Lawler (www.LawlerADR.com) and Program Coordinator, David Shraga
This worldwide conversation will be like nothing else. Join in! Share, learn, have fun, and raise money for food banks.
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