What People Say About Us

“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


“Alan is a very good listener. He lets people have their piece, 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


“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’s creativity, sincerity and dedication inspire trust and confidence in the mediation process.”

“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


“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


“Micky is one of the most trustworthy people I know, in keeping confidences and keeping her word. Her clients adored her.”

“Micky was one of the most respected lawyers in Chicago—she made a lasting impression on all.”

— NAN NOLAN, US Magistrate Judge, Chicago


“Micky had an unerring sense of which of the many ways she could work up a case would be most effective with a particular judge, jury and prosecutor. She is extremely creative.”

“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


“I work in a union environment. From the mediation training, I learned any time there is conflict in the workplace, to ‘move from my issue to my interest’.”

— TONI ARNOLD, trainee, HR/Employee Relations, Teichert, Sacramento


“There are not very many people in the western United States who can train mediators like Alan can because he’s got the experience.”

— LARRY LEVY, mediator, Seattle


“After 15 years a professional mediator, I still, to this day, use theories, techniques and approaches that Alan taught me. He started me off in my career—I think the world of him.”

— MIKE ROBERTS, Mediator and Arbitrator, JA&F, San Diego


“I took the training for personal development, to build listening skills. It broadened my ideas and made me think about effective communication.”

— LAURA STREICHERT, PH.D., Seattle


“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, Executive VP and Chief Mediator, JA&F, San Francisco


“Alan’s training gave me lots of confidence to do the important work of mediation. I knew that Alan had a national and international reputation in the mediation field so I knew his training would be good. Since ‘graduating’ from Alan’s course, I have been able to do effective work in the areas of trust and estate disputes. These disputes often involve vulnerable adults and persons engaged in guardianship proceedings; it is highly gratifying work.”

— ERVIN A. DESMET, attorney, Bellevue


“Alan’s years of experience as a professional mediator, and his in-depth understanding of the mediation process, show through in his instruction. Drawing on a number of established mediation techniques, Alan’s training sessions provide the student with the necessary tools to address any number of conflict situations whether in personal relationships or in business settings. Alan’s commitment to the mediation process is shown by the enthusiasm he brings to each training session.”

— WAYNE SHAFFER, attorney, Reno


“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


“If you train people to understand the benefits of mediation, they can incorporate those principles into daily life.”

— SANDY MATHESON, CEO, Hanford Business Association


“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 multidisciplinary 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


“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


“Micky is articulate and eloquent, but communication skill isn’t just the ability to talk, it’s the ability to listen. One of her greatest talents is listening, and then using the information to persuade her opponent. She hears the responses and meets the problems on her feet, altering the message to address the obstacles.”

— ROBERT SEEDER, attorney, Federal Defender Program, Chicago