About Who I Am

Let me tell you something about my background.

I received my formal training in negotiation and mediation at Harvard Law School's Program of Instruction for Lawyers and the Center for Dispute Settlement in Washington, D.C. (Now, I train others to be better negotiators.)

I got my training as an arbitrator from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the American Arbitration Association and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

I am a founding director of Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council and have taught at its training sessions.

I am regularly invited to serve as a speaker or faculty member at programs related to dispute resolution techniques.

As a member of the Steering Committee of the Boston Bar Association's Family Law Section, I had the opportunity to regularly interact and learn from judges and other divorce lawyers. At our monthly meetings, we addressed issues and legislation that affected divorce in Massachusetts.

As a member of the Family Relationships Task Force of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Responsible Fatherhood and Family Support, I helped raise awareness of the challenges and responsibilities of fatherhood.

As a Senior Trainer, I train negotiators both here and in Europe for The Negotiation Skills Company.

Prior to practicing law full time, I was a teacher. As an assistant professor I helped my students understand and learn important legal concepts.

Today, that experience helps me to explain important divorce concepts to my clients and present their cases to a judge. Once, a judge complimented me by saying that my courtroom presentations were clear and to the point, a skill I learned as a teacher. Today that skill benefits my clients.

Judges regularly appoint me to serve as a Discovery Master, or Guardian ad Litem. Discovery Masters stand in the place of the appointing judge to resolve certain types of disputes between parties. A judge appoints a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and report back to the judge on certain issues, many times involving children.

Serving as a Master, Guardian or arbitrator has given me valuable insight into the perspective of a judge and what it is to "sit on the other side of the bench." Understanding this perspective has enabled me to be aware of the needs of the judge and present my clients case effectively. Prior to becoming a divorce mediator, I was a civil mediator who successfully mediated hundreds of cases in a wide variety of areas. Many mediations involved disputes valued at over $100,000.00. As a civil arbitrator, I was responsible for rendering decisions in various contexts some of which involved claims and decisions of over a $1,000,000.