Arbitrator/Mediator – Commercial (LCC), International, Employment, Appellate, Consumer, and Judicial Settlement Panel<br/><br/>New York Courts Commercial Division Mediator

Full-time Arbitrator & Mediator; Former Appellate Court Judge, Litigator, and Educator; Civil Law Expert<br/><br/>

Arbitrator, 2006 – Present; Mediator, 2008 – Present; Appellate Court Judge, Third Circuit Court of Appeal, 1992 – 2004; Solo Practitioner, 1981 – 1992; Visiting Faculty, Harvard University School of Law, 1999 – Present; Faculty, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, 2003; Adjunct Faculty (Business Law/Contracts, Mass Communications Law, Torts, Family Law courses), McNeese State University.

Worked for approximately 11 years in Corporate America - Banking, Retailing, Manufacturing, and Hospital Administration.<br/><br/>Practiced for approximately 24 years in the legal profession - twelve as a litigator, followed by twelve as an Appellate Court Judge on Louisiana's Third Circuit Court of Appeal, a mid-level Court with general jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal for over one-third of the state. <br/><br/>As a judge, rendered thousands of decisions - many multi-million dollar cases, involving complex issues and multi-parties. <br/><br/>Some issues concerned construction; telecommunications; legal fees; legal and medical malpractice; labor and employment disputes; elections; environmental matters; arbitration; class actions; warranties - implied and express; product liability; banking; unfair trade practices; real estate; medical; insurance matters; and ownership of former spousal property and retirement accounts. <br/><br/>Numerous decisions focused on contract issues involving employment; business entities, such as national cellular/mobile service providers; funeral homes; mobile home sellers and manufacturers; and consumers - requiring decisions on privity, breach, rescission, impossibility of performance, indemnity clauses, arbitration clauses, vitiation of consent, and the validity and application of non-compete provisions; etc. <br/><br/>Additionally, interpretation of sales agreements under the UCC, rental agreements, and settlement agreements comprised a vast number of the decisions. Interpretation of insurance policies was a frequent subject of decisions, particularly interpretation of exclusionary provisions and subrogation rights. Rendering these decisions, many times, required application of choice of law principles. <br/><br/>As an attorney, litigated on a wide variety of cases, including workers' compensation, torts, contracts, family law, warranty disputes, insurance disputes, employment, and sexual discrimination/harassment, as well as drafted and negotiated contracts. <br/><br/>Expertise in the Entertainment Industry from the perspective of a writer, producer, director, and performer under a pen name. If more information is desired, please inquire with the case manager.<br/><br/>During private practice and as a judge, did vast public speaking; teaching; created, produced and hosted weekly legal television segment for 15 years; authored published book on the law. Appeared as legal expert on National Television Networks.<br/><br/>Harvard University School of Law - Visiting Faculty since approximately 1999 to Present, ongoing; Faculty, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, 2003; Instructor, Loyola University School of Law, Appellate Advocacy, Research and Writing; and Instructor, 1981; McNeese State University, instructor numerous courses including Contracts, Torts, and Mass Communications. <br/><br/>"Pacesetter," Selected by the John C. Stennis Center for Women in Public Service - a bipartisan organization - 1999 and 2000. "Pacesetters are proven leaders . . . who . . . serve as examples to others who aspire to public service careers."

Mediator since 2008, serves on the New York Courts' Commercial Mediators' Roster, and has had extensive Mediation training in the Mediation styles and processes, as well as has received certification in Advanced Commercial Mediation. Also on the American Arbitration Association’s Judicial Settlement Conference and Appellate Panels.

In addition to experience as a Neutral, is a Positive Psychology Practitioner, which significantly enhances mediation skills and chances of brokering an expedient and satisfactory settlement.

The University of Virginia School of Law (LLM, Judicial Process-1998); Loyola University School of Law (JD-1981); The College of William & Mary (BA, Psychology-1967). Positive Psychology Practitioner Certification (2013).

Admitted to the Bar: Louisiana, 1981.

Member of the Board of Managers for THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ARBITRATORS (CIArb), GLOBAL organization, headquartered in London, England; Chair of the Examinations Board for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Admitted to the Caspian Society's Panel of Arbitrators, 2019; ACCREDITED MEMBER of FEDERATION OF INTEGRATED CONFLICT MANAGEMENT - THE MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION NETWORK (FICM-MCN); American Bar Association (International Law, Dispute Resolution); New York State Bar Association: (Dispute Resolution, International, Commercial and Federal Litigation, Corporate Counsel, Labor and Employment, and Judicial Sections); New York City Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section); Arbitral Women; American Foreign Lawyers Association; Columbian Lawyers Association; New York State Women's Bar Association.

PUBLICATIONS:<br/><br/>Author: "ARBITRATION – A CASE FOR JUDGES TO BE HEARD," published in New York State Bar Association’s The Insider, 2016;<br/><br/>Editor of article: "Can an Arbitrator Conduct Independent Legal Research? If Not, Why Not?" by Paul Bennett Marrow.<br/><br/>Author of book: YOU & THE LAW, published 1992; A lead author: LOUISIANA CIVIL TRIAL PROCEDURES, Practice Series, West Group, published 1997 – Present. <br/><br/>SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: <br/><br/>Presenter, American Bar Association Annual Conference Toronto, 2011 - "How Arbitrators Think and What You and They Can Do About it: A Journey Into the Minds of Arbitrators" (Heuristics); Presenter, Association for Conflict Resolution Greater NY (ACRGNY) 2010 Conference. <br/><br/>Conducted workshop for Mount Vernon Bar Association: "Implicit Bias: What it is and How Do We Successfully Deal With It Or Turn it Around?" (11/2018);<br/><br/>Presenter: NYSBA Appellate Arbitration CLE program (11/2018);<br/>Appearances as a Legal Expert on Court TV and Lifetime Networks. Creator and host of legal television segment on NBC -TV affiliate 14 years; Fox TV, one year. Legal Columnist, (Louisiana newspaper), YOU & THE LAW, 1993 – 1995; Hundreds of speeches, regarding the law, one of which was Louisiana's Women's Conference Keynote speaker. Self Magazine, featured for accomplishments in 1986. NBC's KPLC-TV, National Women in History Month, 2004.

$550 Per Hour

English, French, Italian

United States of America

New York, NY