Dispute Resolution Archives

Celebrating 15 Years of Positive Outcomes: Bay Area Mediation Services

In the past fifteen years, the Bar Association of San Francisco’s (BASF) Bay Area Mediation Services matched hundreds of cases with experienced mediators who get results. Two-thirds of BASF mediations end in settlement, and parties report a stunning 99 percent…

Civility in the Workplace

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou A college dean writes “What the f**k!!!” on a Post-It Note affixed…

Conflict Intervention Service: How an Innovative Mediation Program Prevents Evictions

Prasanna G. faced the loss of her home of over twenty years. A working senior citizen, Prasanna immigrated to San Francisco from India to care for her mother, who resided in publicly-owned affordable housing in Noe Valley. She moved into…

New California Law Requires Informed Consent to Mediation

New Law. On January 1, a new California law will take effect. It will require a lawyer to make sure their client understands the implications of California’s legal protections for mediation communications, before the client agrees to mediation. If the…

BASF Welcomes Grace Seferian to its Bay Area Mediation Services Panel

Grace Seferian is an expert in the field of construction with over 20 years of experience in the industry as a program and construction manager professional. Seferian is also an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) specialist with expertise in mediation, arbitration and Dispute Review…

BASF Welcomes Jenny Y. Kim to Bay Area Mediation Services Panel

Jenny Y. Kim is a certified mediator who has mediated hundreds of hours in commercial and residential landlord tenant cases, civil harassment, and other civil disputes. She serves as a co-chair of the ADR Executive Committee of the Alameda County…

BASF Welcomes Dean A. Christopherson to the Bay Area Mediation Services Panel

Drawing on more than thirty years of practice in commercial, banking and real estate litigation, Dean Christopherson, Dawe & Christopherson, has a successful track record as an evaluative mediator, using a cordial and attentive approach. After reviewing briefs and holding…

The Psychology of Impasse – Part 2

In part 1 of my column, I discussed the psychology of mediation, presenting study materials that were developed by a European project for mediators based on my previous publications. Here again are excerpts from the TIME project (the European Project…

Mediation Confidentiality

The statutory framework for California mediation set forth in California Evidence Code Sections 1115-1128 imposes ethical duties on lawyers representing clients (whether or not a lawsuit is filed). Definitions are in Evidence Code § 1115: (a) “Mediation” means a process in…

BASF Welcomes Diana R. Passadori to the Bay Area Mediation Services Panel

Diana R. Passadori, Passadori Family Law & Mediation, is a trained mediator and has practiced family law exclusively for over 10 years. She successfully completed the 40-hour mediation training with the Center for Understanding in Conflict. Passadori’s passion for mediation stems…

BASF Welcomes Mark Gainer Back to Bay Area Mediation Services Panel

Mark Gainer is a graduate of Boalt Hall, and has practiced in firms and as general counsel. Gainer has been involved in several business enterprises, including real estate and business opportunity brokerage. Twenty-two years ago, he founded Legal Additions LLC,…

Compassion in Conflict: BASF Offers Conflict Intervention Service in Affordable Housing

The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Conflict Intervention Service (CIS) is a grant-funded project of the City and County of San Francisco in partnership with BASF’s Bay Area Mediation Services Program. This innovative program utilizes skilled mediators with diverse…

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