Mediation Services is led by Alan Alhadeff and Micky Forbes. Experience mediators with training as attorneys / lawyers / litigators, now specializing in helping people move from deadlock to solutions. Practice areas of service include family law / divorce, personal injury, employment, succession / estate planning / probate, construction / real estate / property, environmental / land use mediations, conflict mediation. Based in Seattle Washington, near Bellevue, Redmond, Tacoma, Everett.

Who We Are

Alhadeff & Forbes Mediation Services was established by Alan Alhadeff, an attorney with a keen understanding of the dynamics of conflict and the needs of lawyers and clients. Alan was responsible for creating some of the first mediator training programs to be presented throughout the country, and in this way contributed to the development of mediation as a field. He has personally trained top mediators in many states, and continues to search for ways to advance and develop the process.

In 2002, Micky Forbes, who is also an attorney with extensive experience in litigation, joined Alan as a principal of Alhadeff & Forbes Mediation Services. Micky offers considerable negotiating and interpersonal skills, and an insightful, compassionate style of conflict resolution that has proved invaluable in conducting successful mediations.

A&F’s client list includes governmental entities (federal, state and local), major employers, insurance companies, financial institutions, construction companies, design professionals (including architects and engineers), as well as smaller businesses, families and individuals.

The partners mediate cases individually or together as co-mediators, depending on the unique needs of the situation. Experience has shown that having two sets of ears, eyes and heads helping yields real dividends for our clients. We do not charge a higher fee when Alan and Micky work together.

Our approach works for people who want to sustain relationships, as well as for those who want to leave them. Individuals can come to Alhadeff & Forbes Mediation Services in the early stages of a conflict, before any legal process has started. Lawyers also guide their clients to engage in our process—not only as a means of avoiding litigation, but sometimes once litigation has already begun.

Although a monetary settlement is often part of the final agreement, clients who have experienced our approach report that they have come away with much more than that. Through this process, people often find they are able to leave hostility behind and go on with their lives.

"Alan excels in handling factually complex and emotionally charged cases… Alan is an outstanding mediator with unique skills, and his success rate is extraordinarily high. He takes time to get to know the parties—and that’s how you settle cases”.
— ROB SARGEANT
Vice President and Underwriting Counsel, Stewart Title Guaranty Co.

“[Alan’s] creativity is impressive—he keeps generating new solutions to problems—he can quickly analyze and come up with ideas that have positive benefit for both sides—feasible solutions”.
— LYNN P. BARKER
Wolfstone, Panchot & Bloch, P.S., Inc.

“Micky has among the best instincts I’ve seen about how to analyze a problem…I learned from Micky how to be the most passionate advocate, but also to hear the other side and compromise.
— NAN NOLAN
US Magistrate Judge, Chicago

“In my 27 years of practicing law, I’ve never seen anyone so able to craft solutions to really intractable problems…to arrive at a solution that satisfies everyone, in a case that no one thought could be satisfactorily resolved.
— CAROL BROOK
Deputy Director of Federal Defender Program, Chicago