Best Lawyers in America for Mediation
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State
Marcia Busching’s legal practice is primarily devoted to arbitration, real estate, construction, and complex business matters, with significant experience in construction and commercial arbitration. With service on American Arbitration Association (AAA) panels spanning three decades, including international arbitration, Marcia is in demand for a wide variety of very significant construction and business disputes as well as consumer and smaller disputes. Presently, she is a member of the...
Area of Emphasis Kip Power is a shareholder in the Energy and Natural Resources and Litigation groups of Babst Calland. Mr. Power helps clients comply with environmental laws and defend related litigation while keeping their businesses running profitably. He regularly represents companies when permitting and enforcement disputes arise and prosecutes civil actions and appeals challenging unlawful agency actions. Over the course of his career, he has successfully negotiated favorable resolution...
Russell F. Hilliard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Mediation. Russell F., who practices law in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been recognized since 1997. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Russell F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sonia Montalbano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Individuals, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Litigation - Real Estate, Nonprofit / Charities Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Sonia, who practices law in Portland, Oregon, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Soni...
Hal Ostrow is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers. Hal is a business attorney who focuses on serving clients who provide information technology and creative services. His practice includes: Technology Transactions, Privacy, and Cybersecurity: He assists numerous businesses in formulating, negotiating, and drafting service agreements, statements of work, terms of use, privacy policies, data ownership and licensing contracts, and cybersecurity prevention and response plans. As a Certified...
Charles C. Abut is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Arbitration, Family Law, Family Law Mediation and Mediation. Charles C., who practices law in Hackensack, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2001. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jim Wyly practices in the area of litigation. He handles a diverse litigation practice in Mississippi and Louisiana. As a litigator, he has defended a variety of tort claims, including serious personal injury, property damage, and wrongful death claims arising from transportation, professional liability (legal, medical, accountant, insurance and real estate agents/brokers), products liability, toxic exposure, maritime (Jones Act and general maritime law), construction (architects, engineers, ...
Michael G. Balmages, Esq. is a mediator and discovery referee with decades of experience in civil litigation, corporate counsel matters, and transactional law. Based in Irvine, California, and serving through ADR Services, Inc. , Mr. Balmages works with parties and counsel to resolve complex disputes across a broad range of matters, including Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Real Estate. He has participated in the resolution of more than 1,500 cases and is known for his practical approa...
As leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group in Dickinson Wright’s Phoenix office, Sam Coffman has over 30 years of experience counseling employers in all areas of employment law, including management and labor practices, hiring, discipline, terminations, terms of employment, and the review and drafting of employment policies, manuals and employee contracts. His strong employment-related litigation background includes representing clients in Title VII claims, breach of contract ...
Mr. Savitz regularly represents corporate and individual clients at both the trial and appellate level in matters involving construction litigation, franchise litigation, intellectual property litigation, and professional liability litigation including attorney, accountant, and design professional malpractice defense. He is also a certified mediator in federal court. Mr. Savitz is an approved panel attorney for most professional liability insurance carriers.
Stuart M. Katz is a principal of Cohen and Wolf and Chair of the firm's Litigation Group. He is also a member of the firm's Employment & Labor and Physicians' Practices Groups. Mr. Katz is highlighted in Chambers USA (2017) for the "superb quality of his counsel and representation." He represents employers of all sizes in defending discrimination and harassment suits and litigating restrictive covenant, breach of contract, business tort and wage claims. Mr. Katz also represents profession...
Garrick Gallagher joined the firm in 1988, and is a Shareholder, Director and Past President (2000-2006) of the firm. Mr. Gallagher earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1984, and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981. Mr. Gallagher concentrates his practice on complex civil litigation throughout Arizona, the United States, and abroad. He has been interviewed by Dateline NBC, local news networks, the Los Angeles Times,...
Patricia Costello served for more than 25 years as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge, including ten years as the Assignment Judge in Essex County. During her tenure as Assignment Judge, she supervised all of the county’s trial and municipal courts, including more than 100,000 filings per year, 1,000 employees and a $55 million annual budget. Appointed to the bench in 1989 by then Governor Thomas Kean, Judge Costello spent the first 15 years of her judicial career in Hudson County, servi...
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...
Bruce concentrates his practice in mediation and complex commercial litigation. Having completed over 500 mediation cases, he represents plaintiffs or defendants in significant cases in both state and federal court. His practice specializes in complex business litigation, employment, commercial, and personal injury litigation.
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.