Best Lawyers in America for Mediation
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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...
Trenholm is a versatile litigation attorney who handles a wide variety of cases at the trial and appellate levels. As a result of his trial skills and accomplishments, he has received the distinction of membership in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and Litigation Counsel of America. He has also been ranked at the top among his peers by Super Lawyers®, Chambers USA® Legal Guide, and “Best Lawyers in America.” In addition to case...
Serving as Office Managing Partner of Akerman’s Houston office, Scott Marrs is a formidable trial lawyer litigating high profile matters in state and federal courts as well as arbitrations in the United States, South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Scott focuses on legal issues in virtually all aspects of the energy sector, including oil and gas exploration, production, transportation, storage, power, chemical, petrochemical, energy marketing, and well service. He also litigates i...
Erika C. Birg is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, Commercial Litigation and Trade Secrets Law. Erika C., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Erika C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
During his more than 30 years of practice, Mr. Jaffe has focused on dispute resolution internationally in arbitrations under various international arbitral regimes and domestically in court and arbitration proceedings. A significant part of his work has involved representing owners, contractors and other stakeholders in projects ranging from infrastructure and energy facilities to sports stadiums and a wide variety of commercial structures. He has acted as counsel in numerous international an...
Of Counsel for Madigan, Dahl & Harlan, P.A. Over thirty (30) years of experience practicing in the areas of administrative, alcohol beverage, antitrust, business, commercial, distributor, dealer, franchise, construction, employment, and environmental law. AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell for twenty-eight (28) years and recognized as a "Super Lawyer" for seventeen (17) years. Selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Franchise Law. For the last twenty-two ...
The Honorable Mark Falk (Ret.) joined Walsh after a distinguished judicial career, having served 19 years on the federal bench. Judge Falk leads the firm’s Mediation, Arbitration and Special Master Appointments practice and serves clients in a broad range of matters across numerous areas of law, including pharmaceutical patents litigation, commercial and insurance law, bankruptcy, employment law, products liability, corporate governance, internal investigations, securities litigation, a...
After 37 years as a successful litigator and trial lawyer, Robert Fairbank established Fairbank ADR in 2014 as an Alternative Dispute Resolution entity that specializes in the mediation of multi-million dollar, complex civil matters, resulting in settlements of 7, 8 and 9 figure amounts. Bob has been recognized as a Star Individual Nationwide Mediator by Chambers USA for 2025. He was ranked in Band 1 in 2024 and 2023, Band 2 in 2022 and 2021, Band 3 in 2020, and noted as a Recognized Practiti...
Doug Patin has an extensive government contracts practice. While this work has involved the entire spectrum of traditional government contract disputes, he has developed extensive experience in various aspects of government contract law including: federal fraud and False Claims Act issues, bid protests, mediation, and contract dispute litigation with the federal government. Doug's extensive teaching and writing efforts keep him current on changing case law and developments in the field. Doug ...
Julian Modesti is Co-Leader of the Business Litigation practice group at Harris Beach Murtha, based in Syracuse, New York. With over 30 years of experience, Julian has a substantial background in both state and federal court matters related to commercial litigation. These include handling disputes among shareholders, partners, and members, addressing business separations, lease and land-use issues, contract disputes, and safeguarding trade secrets as well as dealing with unfair competition an...
Rosemary A. Townley has been a self-employed full-time arbitrator and mediator for over 30 years based in Larchmont, New York in the Metropolitan New York City area, whose practice includes both domestic and international cases. She has been named to Super Lawyers and to the Top Women Attorneys in Metro New York since 2014. Ms. Townley is listed as an arbitrator with various panels of the American Arbitration Association including the following: Class Actions, Large, Complex Cases, Commercial...
John Bulman has more than 30 years of experience in construction and commercial trial matters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other states. He has served as either a neutral or counsel in trials, mediations, and arbitrations in Massachusetts, Florida, Rhode Island, New York, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, and Washington D.C. John has argued cases before the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the First and Eleventh Circuit Courts...
Terrance E. Schmidt is a Florida-based mediator, arbitrator, and retired civil litigator with over 50 years of legal experience. A Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and longtime member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, he has mediated more than 6,000 cases and served as an arbitrator in dozens more. Mr. Schmidt’s career as a commercial litigator spanned a wide range of complex disputes—including business torts, securities, employment discrimin...
Nan Alessandra represents employers in both the public and private sectors in the defense of discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims for age, gender, disability, race, religion, national origin, and other protected categories. Her litigation experience includes the defense of EEOC and other administrative charges filed through the various federal and state court agencies, as well as defense of legal claims filed at both the judicial level, as well as through the arbitration process....
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.