“Alan was there at the beginning—a visionary in the truest sense. He was able to see the use of mediation in civil litigation and he had the foresight to build a business around it. A lot of what I’ve learned about training in the field started with him. In ’87 there were only a handful of attorney-mediators in the field—he was a mentor of mine. He plowed the field for the first time, dug out the stones and removed the obstacles. Each succeeding generation has had an easier time as a result; the way is better known. I respect him to this day. He is never satisfied with just enough—even if that would be successful. He is still searching and curious about the process and how to improve it.”
— BRUCE EDWARDS, Founding Partner, JAMS, San Francisco
“Ben’s ability to listen and understand each person’s perspective enables him to be an overall calming presence in conflict-ridden situations and helps create meaningful dialogue amongst a wide variety of constituents. He has a positive effect on moving things forward by maneuvering past the immaterial items that often get in the way of real progress.”
— KIRK MUZZY, GM – Tax Planning and Controversies, Microsoft. Formerly VP Tax, Intellectual Ventures.
“Alan provides excellent and insightful services. He is very responsive to the parties’ needs.”
— GARY LOFLAND, Lofland & Associates, Yakima WA
“I have worked with Ben on a wide range of complex, high-value transactions and disputes. Ben’s experience as a counselor to key executives at prominent companies enables him to evaluate and address legal issues in the context of the underlying business and commercial imperatives. His deep understanding of corporate and securities laws, and his ability to anticipate and understand each party’s needs and motivations, enable him to find common ground and craft creative and workable solutions in even the thorniest, most contentious situations.”
— GARY FRIEDMAN, Partner- Friedman Kaplan Seiler and Adelman LLP, New York, New York.
“Alan shows a real empathy to the parties, which gives them confidence in the process. What’s more, he is a very good listener. People need to feel they’ve been heard, and with Alan they do, more so than any other mediator I’ve worked with. What is that phrase he uses? “Resolution at the highest level.” Well, that’s exactly what happens. The process is very valuable for the client. Personal injury lawyers often get very focused on the bottom line, but that’s not true for the parties. They need to feel that the dollar amount agreed on is, in some measure, a reflection of their feelings in the matter.”
— JAN ERIC PETERSON, trial lawyer and former President, Washington State Bar Association
“Ben has superb analytical and probative skills and unerring judgment. He quickly grasps the nuances of complex problems and comes up with balanced and creative solutions. His involvement was instrumental in helping to handle highly sensitive compliance investigations and employment matters, convoluted substantive issues and major corporate transactions that had little precedent.”
— GREG LANDIS, attorney. Formerly General Counsel at AT&T Wireless, Vulcan Inc., and Intellectual Ventures.
“Alan is a very good listener. He lets people have their peace, and he is not confrontational. The parties often find the process cathartic—and satisfying—because each of them gets their day in court. He is very patient and respectful, and provides the calm in a storm of parties with strong emotions. Alan takes professional pride in getting the work done and getting it done right. He stays until the job is done and hangs in if there needs to be follow-through. Alan works well with lawyers. He listens to us, and is collaborative with both lawyers and parties on reaching a good resolution.”
— SCOTT SMITH, attorney and former President, King County Bar Association
“I learned from Alan the art of listening—people really want to be listened to. If I paid attention every day to what I learned in that class, my life would be more pleasant because my communication skills would be honed.”
— NEIL BENAROYA, business owner, Portland
“Alan’s ability to suggest creative solutions based on his deep understanding of interpersonal relationships makes him the go-to guy for difficult mediations. He has a calm, soothing, persistent, and undeniably effective approach to conflict resolution.”
—DEAN BRETT, Brett Law
“In very difficult cases, where there didn’t seem to be any room to maneuver, Micky would be the one person who could find it...Her perceptions are broader than most people’s. No case is ever predictable for her—each case is unique, each client, each set of circumstances. Micky’s greatest strength is in resolving contested and disputed matters—favorably. She takes a multi-disciplinary approach; she looks at every aspect of the case, and then is able to articulate the human element and make it persuasive.”
— CYNTHIA GIACCHETTI, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Chicago
“Alan’s ability to listen openly is almost mystical. He can get right down into hearing and get to the issues on both sides—and through doing so, he can create a feeling amongst both parties that ‘this can be resolved’. His belief in people and the nature of people creates a willingness to give the process a chance. The way Alan works requires a lot of trust—and he is a man who engenders trust. He respects boundaries that need to be respected.”
— PATRICK MICHAEL SCOTT, former President, KOMO TV
“Alan has an extraordinary intuitive sense, which comes with his years of experience. I’ve seen him manage situations in which the parties were quite upset. He was really able to help them stay the course, and he could calm things down and get the situation stabilized when it got out of hand. Alan’s teaching helped bring into focus how I wanted to practice—he had a tremendous positive impact on me in a formative time.”
— LYNN P. BARKER, Wolfstone, Panchot & Bloch, P.S., Inc., Seattle
“Micky is enormously intuitive. She often knows what someone is really trying to express even when they can’t articulate it. She has an extraordinary capacity to listen and withhold any kind of judgment. Because she’s so thoughtful, she’s unwilling to make any kind of assessment until she truly feels she has all the information that’s out there to have.”
— CAROL BROOK, Deputy Director of Federal Defender Program, Chicago
“Micky is remarkable in the way she can approach things from so many angles. She is able to escape rigidity and approach things in a pragmatic, people-oriented way. Her approach is holistic: she steps beyond the law and represents all her clients’ interests, using legal and non-legal approaches and solutions.”
— DOUG WHITNEY, McDermott, Will and Emory, Chicago
“The combination of Micky and Alan was particularly powerful. Both provided support, each in their own way, and also contributed to helping us find flexibility and meet our deeper needs. If either party is inclined to worry about being treated unfairly, having co-mediators helps balance that out. One mediator is working on the business end, while the other can keep an eye on the emotional dynamic. This provides much benefit and expands how they can work with the emotional issues.”
“Micky and Alan were not only aware of the emotional stress but also kind and supportive. During mediation they were supportive of the relationship so we could heal from the divorce as quickly as possible and have the friendship we hoped to have. It was very important to me to have that safe space, especially in light of the outside stressors in my life—to be able to go into that office and feel supported, to feel as if business was being well taken care of, and also my husband’s needs were being attended do.”
— LIN BOWMAN, client
