Best Lawyers in America for Alternative Dispute Resolution
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State
Michelle Reinglass is a full-time mediator with Judicate West, one of Southern California’s leading providers of dispute resolution services. She exclusively handles mediations, with a large emphasis on labor and employment matters (discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of all types: sex, disability, race, age, national origin and ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.), wage and hour (class actions and individual cases), PAGA, whistleblowing, defamation, contract, etc.; as well as b...
The Honorable Lisa F. Chrystal (Ret.) joined Brach Eichler after serving 22 years as a Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. Judge Chrystal concentrates her practice in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), mediation and arbitration, as well as discovery management. A compassionate and attentive listener known for her legal acumen and her responsible and equitable counsel, Judge Chrystal focuses on civil cases and family law matters, prejudgment and post judgement, as well as c...
Richard D. Deutsch is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration - Commercial. Richard D., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David Ackerman defends law firms in professional malpractice and legal ethics actions. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, clients value his litigation experience and strategic insight in resolving disputes through trial and appeals, negotiation, or arbitration. Ranked by Chambers USA , where he is described as “an even-keeled, thoughtful and smart attorney,” he is repeatedly recognized by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and included in The Best Lawyers in America...
LEE CHRISTIE, Indianapolis, is a partner with Christie Bell & Marshall. His practice focuses on personal injury litigation, wrongful death, car accident injury cases , and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Christie received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, and earned his law degree from Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. A frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars, Mr. Christie has presented on the topics of punitive damages, tort l...
Patricia M. Weaver is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Mediation. Patricia M., who practices law in Bethesda, Maryland, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patricia M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
A certified specialist in employment and labor law since 1993, M. Malissa Burnette has an extensive history of working toward workplace and social justice. She also has a wealth of experience in family law, personal injury, sexual harassment and discrimination law as well. She practices in state and federal courts, primarily representing individuals in complex employment cases involving discrimination, civil and constitutional rights, breach of contract, covenants to not compete, employment-r...
About Cynthia Cynthia L. Ciancio is a founding shareholder of Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. She also heads up the firm’s Family Law Group. Ms. Ciancio’s practice specializes in high asset divorces and complex child custody disputes. She is also a certified mediator conducting both mediations and arbitrations for parties with or without lawyers. With over 20 years of experience exclusively in family law, and another four years prior as a Deputy District Attorney in Adams County, Ms. ...
M. Imad Khan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, International Arbitration - Commercial and International Arbitration - Governmental. M. Imad, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which M. Imad is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Clark is licensed in Tennessee and Kentucky and maintains a general civil trial practice with a focus primarily on medical malpractice defense. He serves on the firm's Board of Directors and is chair of the firm's Healthcare Practice Group. He has tried numerous civil lawsuits to verdict, and he has briefed and argued cases before the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court. Mr. Clark is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator.
Gary D. Eisenstat is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Mediation. Gary D., who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gary D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
George is passionate about achieving the best practical result, but he tries not to lose sight of humor and humanity in the process. He has been practicing law for over four decades and focuses on litigating, arbitrating, and mediating business and construction disputes. His trial experience is extensive and multi-faceted, before juries and arbitrators alike throughout New England and New York, including numerous construction and design claims, some involving tens of millions of dollars; prod...
Carolyn Nussbaum is a partner in the Commercial Litigation group, and a member of the Securities and Governance Litigation team as well as the Class Action team. Carolyn represents companies and their management and leaders who confront business disputes. She is also the Managing Partner for the Rochester office of the firm, where she oversees policies impacting nearly 300 employees. What do you focus on? I concentrate my commercial litigation practice in four main specialized areas, using mo...
David Wilson, a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, is an independent international and U.S. arbitrator and mediator who handles complex, high-stakes commercial and IP disputes, focusing on the energy and technology sectors, among others. A Colorado lawyer and Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, he has received 75+ arbitral appointments (chair, panelist, sole arbitrator, and emergency arbitrator) under ICDR, AAA, ICC, JA...
Family law attorney with litigation and appellate experience handling complex financial matters arising from divorce, including: asset and business valuation, pension and retirement issues, and alimony and spousal support; as well as experience with issues involving children such as custody, visitation, and child support. Also experienced in premarital issues such as negotiating and drafting premarital agreements as well as post divorce issues such as modification of support obligations or cu...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.